PT demands explanations from deputies about irregular campaign finances

05/08/2005 - 0h02

Liésio Pereira
Reporter - Agência Brasil

São Paulo - A decision taken yesterday (4) by the National Executive of the PT (Workers' Party) will require PT deputies involved in irregular campaign financing to account for their actions. According to the party's national president, Tarso Genro, the executive board approved a letter that will be sent to deputies "about whom any concrete information is unresolved regarding actions that need to be explained and justified and that may ultimately be deemed unethical or irregular."

Genro explained that, at the meeting, Deputies João Paulo Cunha (PT-SP) and João Magno (PT-MG) anticipated the summons and submitted their defense. Their names appear in a petition filed with the Chair of the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday (3) by Senator Luiz Soares (no party affiliation-MS), calling for the mandates of 14 deputies to be revoked. The senator claims that the legislators received money from the advertising executive, Marcos Valério, as part of the alleged money-transfer scheme to finance election campaigns.

"They [Cunha and Magno] presented their motives, which will be evaluated on another occasion to determine the course to follow," Genro informed. He said that the party will distribute the letters, "requesting explanations, information, and reports regarding facts attributed to certain members of our national cadre."

The text of the letter informs that, "considering information about you disseminated by the national media, and seeking to conserve the integrity of the party and its leaders," the deputy will have ten days to present "a report about the following fact that is attributed to you."

Genro also informed that the Executive will submit a proposal to the National Board of Directors of the party, which is meeting this weekend, in São Paulo, to send requests to the regional boards for reports on undeclared contributions to election campaigns. If the proposal is approved by the National Board, the regional boards will have 15 days to make an accounting.

Translation: David Silberstein