Temer's electoral ouster potentially detrimental for Brazil, defense says

The defense counsel of Brazil's President Michel Temer has sent its closing arguments to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) in connection with a lawsuit challenging the victory of the 2014 presidential re-election ticket—in which Temer was Dilma Rousseff's running mate—on charges of “abuse of political and economic power.” His counsel has repeatedly said removing him from office would have serious consequences for Brazil.

“The current situation of the country is of particular concern [an issue posed for the court's consideration as well], and would make a measure of this magnitude unadvisable because of its short-term consequences for both political and economic stability,” read the document signed by lawyers Gustavo Bonini Guedes, Marcus Vinicius Furtado Coêlho, and Paulo Henrique dos Santos Lucon.

In early April, Rousseff's lawyers and Temer's lawyers appealed to the court to extend their deadline so they could present further closing arguments.

Motion to quash evidence

In the new arguments, which are three pages longer than the original draft, Temer's defense has moved for the court to quash the testimonies given by João Santana and his wife Mônica Moura, the marketers behind Rousseff and Temer's 2014 campaign. Heard at the late evidentiary stage of the case, the couple gave details of the payments for their advertising services through offshore accounts.

Background

The lawsuit was filed with the TSE by the PSDB—the party of Rousseff's and Temer's main opponent in the 2014 election, Aécio Neves, which became part of the governing coalition as Temer took over presidency with Rousseff's impeachment in 2016. The party said the 2014 winning ticket had potentially had its campaign funded with the proceeds of the Petrobras corruption scandal revealed by the massive Car Wash probe. But the defense maintained the facts that surfaced from the evidentiary stage of the election lawsuit were unrelated to Petrobras, and as such, were beyond the scope of the charges.

Moreover, the lawyers pointed out, Rousseff and Temer's accounts should be examined separately, because Temer had set up an individual bank account to manage campaign funds. The defense argues Temer was elected vice-president, not “the president's deputy”.

Translated by Mayra Borges