Roberto Jefferson

Roberto Jefferson Monteiro Francisco is a conservative Brazilian politician.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Monteiro and the second or paternal family name is Francisco.

Roberto Jefferson
National President of PTB
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 April 2016
Preceded by	Cristiane Brasil
Federal Deputy from Rio de Janeiro
In office 1 February 1983 – 15 September 2005
Personal details
Born	Roberto Jefferson Monteiro Francisco (1953-06-14) 14 June 1953 Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil
Political party	PTB (Since 1982) PDS (1979–80) MDB (1971–79)
Spouse(s)	Ana Lúcia Novaes ( m. 2015) [1]
Children	Cristiane Brasil Fabiana Brasil Roberto Francisco Neto
Mother	Neusa Dalva Monteiro
Father	Roberto Francisco
Alma mater	Estácio S.A.

Personal life and education

He was born on June 14, 1953 in Petrópolis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He is the son of Neusa Dalva Monteiro Francisco and Roberto Francisco. Roberto Jefferson is married to Ana Lúcia Novaes.[1]

He finished his high school studies at Werneck School in Petrópolis, and received a law degree in 1979 from the Estácio de Sá University in Rio de Janeiro.

Various parties

His political career began officially in 1971, when he joined the MDB (known as PMDB since 1979) party. Jefferson remained in MDB until 1979, when he went to the Progressive Party (PP). He left the PP in 1980 and he joined the Brazilian Labour Party (PTB), which his grandfather helped to form in 1945.

Career with the PTB

Jefferson and his party were one of the key supporters of right wing Fernando Collor de Mello government, and a key defender in Congress during the influence peddling scandal which led to Collor to impeachment.[2]

In 1993, he was cited in a congressional report which investigated bribery in the congressional budgeting committee as an individual who should be "investigated further". Ultimately his financial assets were deemed compatible with his declared income, though undeclared assets were found.[2]

In 1999, he became leader of the PTB party in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies. He continued as their leader until 2002. In February 2003, PTB elected him as its National President.

Corruption scandal and expulsion

In 2005, Jefferson became involved in a corruption scandal related to the Correios, the Brazilian postal administration. Facing a congressional inquiry related to his actions, Jefferson retaliated by exposing a cash-for-votes scheme, where he claimed congressmen were paid monthly sums to in exchange for votes supporting president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in what became known as the Mensalão scandal. The scandal included dozens of parliamentarians of the government's coalition and two government ministers, among others, resulting in the indictment of forty people by the Supreme Federal Tribunal, for their alleged role in one of the country's biggest corruption scandals in recent years.

He was expelled from Congress on September 14, 2005, stemming from his actions in the Correios scandal.[3] The expulsion bars him from being elected to any public office until 2015.[4]

References

1. Nunes Leal, Luciana (29 May 2015). "Roberto Jefferson se casa e menciona mensalão em declaração à noiva" (in Portuguese). Estadão. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
2. Saiba mais sobre Roberto Jefferson, pivô da crise no governo Lula. Folha Online. June 13, 2007.
3. Por 313 votos a favor e 156 contra, Câmara cassa Roberto Jefferson. UOL Notícias. September 14, 2005. Retrieved on October 14, 2007.
4. Q&A: Brazil corruption scandal. BBC News. September 4, 2007. Retrieved on October 14, 2007.

External links

• Brazilian Chamber of Deputies

Party political offices
Preceded by Cristiane Brasil	National President of Brazilian Labor Party 2016–present	Incumbent