Electoral court accepts lawsuit against Bolsonaro
Superior Electoral Court Justice Benedito Gonçalves decided on Thursday (Jan. 19) to accept the opening of an electoral investigation process against former president Jair Bolsonaro for the alleged practice of abuse of power in the 2022 elections. 
The lawsuit was initiated by the Workers' Party (PT) and other parties that formed the coalition to support the candidacy of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In the process, the coalition accuses the former president of holding events at the Alvorada and Planalto presidential palaces during the second round of the election campaign. The party mentioned meetings with governors and country singers to announce support for the then candidate Bolsonaro.
Upon analyzing the initial petition, the justice understood that there is enough evidence to authorize the opening of the process. In case of conviction, one of the punishments may be the decree of Bolsonaro’s ineligibility.
"Based on the analyzed material one deduces that spaces traditionally used for the holding of press conferences by the (former) president, in the performance of his function as head of state, served as a stage to carry out ostensive campaign acts, in which one sought to project the image of political strength of the candidate Jair Bolsonaro," Gonçalves said.
At least 16 cases against the former president are in progress at the Superior Electoral Court.
