House Ethics Council opens proceedings against Eduardo Bolsonaro
The Ethics Council of the Brazilian lower house has initiated proceedings against Federal Representative Eduardo Bolsonaro, of the Liberal Party (PL), for breach of parliamentary decorum. The complaint, filed by the Workers’ Party (PT) on Tuesday (Sep. 23) seeks to have the lawmaker stripped of his office.
The PT claims that the former President Jair Bolsonaro’s son has used his stay in the US to “repeatedly defame Brazilian state institutions.”
The decision was announced by the council chair, Representative Fabio Schiochet. Now, the council has 90 days to review the complaint.
In the complaint, the PT alleges that Eduardo Bolsonaro has attacked the Supreme Court and its justices with “particular virulence,” publicly calling them “militia men in robes” and “dictators.” The text cites a recent interview with the lawmaker on CNN Brasil, in which he states that “without amnesty for Jair Bolsonaro, there will be no elections in 2026.”
The PT describes the conduct as a serious threat to the constitutional order and the electoral process.
“Parliamentary immunity is not a safe conduct for actions that undermine the institutional order, nor is it a protective cloak for a speech inciting the breakdown of democracy,” the text reads.
The document also cites the fact that the 120-day leave requested by the congressman in March expired on July 20, “without the defendant having returned to the country or requested any extension, which constitutes a clear violation of the rules of procedure.”
Maneuver
On Tuesday morning (23), lower house speaker Hugo Motta denied Eduardo Bolsonaro’s request to be appointed head of the minority opposition parties in the house.
The nomination was made by the leader of the PL, Representative Sóstenes Cavalcante, on the grounds that an act of the presiding board exempted party leaders from attendance. The nomination was seen as a maneuver to shield the representative from penalties, such as the loss of his mandate.
According to the judgment of the presiding board, remote attendance is only allowed for members of parliament on official business authorized by the lower house – which is not the case for Eduardo Bolsonaro. The lawmaker also failed to notify the house speaker in advance of his absence from Brazil. The presiding board said the situation is “in itself a violation of the representative’s official duties.”
