Brazil house panel rejects corruption trial for president
A Brazilian congressional committee has given a boost to embattled President Michel Temer by rejecting a colleague’s report that recommended he be suspended and tried on a corruption charge.
The panel voted 40 to 25 Thursday to reject the damaging report after parties allied with the president changed almost 20 members on the Chamber of Deputies committee to give the president a favorable score.
Despite the vote, the issue now goes before the full Chamber of Deputies, which is expected to vote in the next few weeks. If two-thirds of the 513 deputies should vote against Temer, lower house Speaker Rodrigo Maia would take over presidential duties while Brazil’s Supreme Court tried the president.
The report was based on an accusation by Brazil’s attorney general that Temer took bribes from a meatpacking executive in exchange for favorable government decisions.
Temer denies any wrongdoing.
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