In a meeting this Wednesday morning (30), the Chamber of Deputies' Ethics Council decided to start an inquiry into the behavior of federal deputies Zucco (Republicans Party – Rio Grande do Sul state) and Ricardo Salles (Liberal Party – São Paulo state), respectively the president and the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on the Landless Workers’ Movement, also known in Portuguese as “CPI do MST”. 

Zucco is accused of committing gender-based violence against federal deputy Sâmia Bomfim (Socialism and Freedom Party – São Paula state) during the Commission. As president of the CPI, he allegedly silenced Sâmia by turning off her microphone. 

The female federal deputy was also purportedly the target of offenses by Ricardo Salles, who, before being elected to the Chamber of Deputies in October 2022, was Bolsonaro’s Minister of the Environment. Salles allegedly fat-shamed Sâmia. On his official social media accounts, the former minister posted a text targeting the socialist parliamentarian using a hamburger emoji.

Another ongoing case in the Chamber of Deputies' Ethics Council involves federal deputy Abílio Brunini (Liberal Party – Mato Grosso state), who supposedly made transphobic comments on July 11 about federal deputy Erika Hilton (Socialism and Freedom Party – São Paulo state). Both parliamentarians are part of the January 8 Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry ("CPI do 8 de Janeiro", in Portuguese), which investigates the coup attempt led by Bolsonaro supporters. The accusation was made by federal deputy Rogério Carvalho (Workers’ Party- Sergipe state).

According to Carvalho, while Hilton was speaking during the Commission, Brunini said offenses with the microphone turned off. “Abilio was homophobic [sic]. He said homophobic things while Hilton was making statements. He accused her [sic] and said that she was offering services. That is homophobia.”

Sâmia, who was one of the targets of gender-based insults, is under investigation. She is accused of verbally assaulting General Girão (Liberal Party – Rio Grande do Norte state). During a hearing of the CPI do MST, she supposedly called the congressman a "bandit", "coup plotter", "terrorist" and "fascist". 

Federal deputy Marcon (Workers’ Party – Rio Grande do Sul) is accused of calling “fake” the stabbing of Bolsonaro during his presidential campaign in 2018. The statement was allegedly made during Eduardo Bolsonaro’s speech (Liberal Party – São Paulo) at the Labor Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. Eduardo is a federal deputy and one of Bolsonaro’s sons. Marcon’s statement was not recorded by the microphone of the Chamber.

For citing the jewelry case, in which Bolsonaro is accused of embezzling the state’s assets for his own benefit, Glauber Braga (Socialism and Freedom Party – Rio de Janeiro state) will also be investigated by the Ethics Council. The parliamentarian spoke of the episode during a discussion with Eduardo Bolsonaro.

Edited by: Nadini Lopes