Brazil court split over whether to accept new evidence in campaign
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS | Wed Jun 7, 2017 | 3:53pm EDT
Brazil court split over whether to accept new evidence in campaign
By Ricardo Brito | BRASILIA
Brazil's top electoral court on Wednesday was split over whether to allow new evidence in plea-bargain testimony from construction company Odebrecht in an illegal campaign funding case that could lead to President Michel Temer leaving office.
The issue delayed proceedings on the second day of sessions by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which adjourned until Thursday without voting on whether to annul Temer's ticket in the 2014 election for allegedly receiving under-the-table donations.
Temer opponents expect a TSE ruling against the president to force him from office and help Brazil exit a political crisis stoked by graft allegations against the center-right leader. A TSE decision could take weeks if not months and could be appealed by Temer.
The judge tasked with spearheading the case, Herman Benjamin, said the additional evidence in plea bargain testimony by Odebrecht executives was crucial to determine whether former president Dilma Rousseff and her running mate Temer used illicit funds in their 2014 campaign.
[font size=1]
-snip-[/font]
Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-politics-idUSKBN18Y2X6