Brazil: $93 million in suspicious donations for municipal elections candidates

A survey conducted by the Superior Electoral Court and released today (Sep. 29) identified almost $93 million in donations considered suspicious sent to candidates for mayor and councilor offices in the next municipal elections in October. Among the donations, for example, there are those made by members of the Bolsa Família conditional cash transfer program and by unemployed people.

According to data collected by the court, 23,844 donors have an income that is not reasonably compatible for the amount donated. In this case, the donations totaled about $70.5 million. They have also identified 22,367 cases of donations made by members of the Bolsa Família program, totaling more than $6.5 million. The survey also found that 46,694 unemployed people donated $16 million.

The Federal Accounts Court (TCU) cross-cheks information among different databases and the accounts system of the Superior Electoral Court.

A partnership between the Superior Electoral Court and the Brazilian Federal Accounting Council will allow information provided to the Electoral Court to be sent in a technical way complying with the standards. The accountants will have a manual to consult the rules of the candidates' campaign finance.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta