Scandals cost ex-speaker his Congress seat

RIO DE JANEIRO — The once-powerful speaker of Congress’ lower house is the latest top politician to fall before the mammoth corruption scandals that have caused widespread anger among Brazilians.

In a 450-10 vote late Monday, the Chamber of Deputies stripped the congressional seat from Eduardo Cunha, who has been accused of numerous corruption allegations and obstructing justice.

Although prosecutors allege Cunha received millions of dollars in bribes linked to the corruption investigation at state-run oil giant Petrobras, lawmakers were only considering the issue of whether he had lied about having secret bank accounts in Switzerland.

Cunha, who said the accounts belonged to a trust, was pressured into resigning as speaker in July after the accounts came to light. He had refused to give up his post as a lawmaker, however, and denies any wrongdoing.

In a heated session Monday night, several lawmakers tore into Cunha, who was in his fourth term and just months ago was considered one of the most powerful men in Brazil.

“Eduardo Cunha is corrupt and needs to be ousted for justice to prevail against impunity,” said Ivan Valente, a deputy from the Socialism and Liberty Party.

Clarissa Garotinho, of the Party of the Republic, called Cunha a “psychopath” for “believing his own lies” and allegedly using his family to hide untoward dealings.

The case against Cunha advanced in part because prosecutors charged his wife, Claudia Cruz, after evidence showed a secret bank account linked to Cunha was in her name.

Cunha proclaimed his innocence and said he was being punished for leading the charge to oust former President Dilma Rousseff.

“It is the price I am paying for Brazil to be freed from the Workers’ Party,” Cunha said, referring to Rousseff ’s party, which governed the country for 13 years.

Cunha was the main force behind the impeachment process that led to the Senate trying Rousseff and removing her from office last month for illegally shifting funds between budgets.

Cunha submitted the impeachment legislation last year and then deftly outmaneuvered Rousseff allies as he led it through committees and oversaw its passage in his chamber in April.

Cunha’s downfall could cause problems for new President Michel Temer, especially if Cunha decides to cooperate with prosecutors in any kind of plea deal.

Watchdog groups estimate that 60 percent of lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are being investigated for crimes, most of them related to corruption including the Petrobras case. Many of those under scrutiny belong to Temer’s party.

Temer has also been implicated in the Petrobras probe, though he has not been charged with a crime.

Temer, Rousseff ’s vice president before taking over, and Cunha were once close allies. But after the vote, Cunha was critical of the president.

With the loss of his seat, Cunha loses partial immunity from prosecution. Only the Supreme Court has the power to charge federal lawmakers.