Renan Calheiros
Encyclopedia
Renan Calheiros is a Brazil
ian politician
and former President
of the Senate of Brazil
. He represents the state of Alagoas
in the senate for the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party.
On May 25, 2007, Veja magazine
accused Calheiros of accepting funds from a lobbyist to pay for the child support of a daughter from a previous extramarital affair with journalist Monica Veloso. In trying to justify the origin of the funds, subsequent investigations on Calheiros' business dealings led to other revelations about income tax fraud and the use of a proxy to buy a stake in a radio station. Calheiros was subject to a disciplinary inquiry by the senate's ethics committee on four different counts. On September 12, 2007, the senate voted by secret ballot
against impeaching Calheiros on the lobby funds accusation. He is still facing three separate inquiries on other charges. After the vote, the public outrage which followed forced congress to eliminate secret ballot votes for ethics violation, meaning Calheiros' three other inquiries, if approved by the ethics committee, will be subject to an open ballot vote in the senate floor.
On October 11, 2007, Calheiros stepped down as president of the senate, taking a 45-day leave of absence from the position. The ethics inquiries will continue to progress through the senate committees.
Calheiros worked for both the Fernando Collor de Mello
and Fernando Henrique Cardoso
governments.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former President
President of the Senate
The President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is the speaker of other assemblies.The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is second in line...
of the Senate of Brazil
Senate of Brazil
The Federal Senate of Brazil is the upper house of the National Congress of Brazil. Created by the first Constitution of the Brazilian Empire in 1824, it was inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords, but with the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889 it became closer to the United States...
. He represents the state of Alagoas
Alagoas
Alagoas is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco ; Sergipe ; Bahia ; and the Atlantic Ocean . It occupies an area of 27,767 km², being slightly larger than Haiti...
in the senate for the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party.
On May 25, 2007, Veja magazine
Veja (magazine)
Veja is a Brazilian weekly newsmagazine published in São Paulo and distributed throughout the country by the media conglomerate Grupo Abril. It is the leading weekly publication in the country, and one of the most influential outlets of the Brazilian press...
accused Calheiros of accepting funds from a lobbyist to pay for the child support of a daughter from a previous extramarital affair with journalist Monica Veloso. In trying to justify the origin of the funds, subsequent investigations on Calheiros' business dealings led to other revelations about income tax fraud and the use of a proxy to buy a stake in a radio station. Calheiros was subject to a disciplinary inquiry by the senate's ethics committee on four different counts. On September 12, 2007, the senate voted by secret ballot
Secret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
against impeaching Calheiros on the lobby funds accusation. He is still facing three separate inquiries on other charges. After the vote, the public outrage which followed forced congress to eliminate secret ballot votes for ethics violation, meaning Calheiros' three other inquiries, if approved by the ethics committee, will be subject to an open ballot vote in the senate floor.
On October 11, 2007, Calheiros stepped down as president of the senate, taking a 45-day leave of absence from the position. The ethics inquiries will continue to progress through the senate committees.
Calheiros worked for both the Fernando Collor de Mello
Fernando Collor de Mello
Fernando Affonso Collor de Mello was the 32nd president of Brazil from 1990 to 1992, when he resigned in a failed attempt to stop his trial of impeachment by the Brazilian Senate...
and Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso – also known by his initials FHC – was the 34th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil for two terms from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2002. He is an accomplished sociologist, professor and politician...
governments.