Public Ethics Office files proceedings against two cabinet members

The Public Ethics Office housed under the Presidency has decided to file misconduct proceedings against Education Minister Aloizio Mercadante and Attorney-General José Eduardo Cardozo.

The Ethics Office accepted a complaint from the Senate leader for the PSDB, the main opposition party, after news emerged that Mercadante sought a deal with Senator Delcídio do Amaral to dissuade him from signing a plea bargaining agreement. Amaral was arrested on November 25 for allegedly trying to interfere with Operation Car Wash, the massive investigation on the Petrobras corruption scandal, and later released on February 19.

As for Cardozo, a complaint was filed by the Federal District chapter of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), stating that the Attorney-General is “outstepping his role” by using it to make a “verbose and clearly party political” defense of President Dilma Rousseff and her allies.

Having accepted the complaints, the Ethics Office will initiate administrative proceedings to probe into Mercadante's and Cardozo's conduct and allow them to answer and provide any information they deem relevant to the proceedings.

Translated by Mayra Borges