Former governor Anthony Garotinho will no longer run for governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro in the 2022 elections. The withdrawal of the politician’s pre-candidacy was a decision of the União Brasil party announced today (19), in the capital of Rio de Janeiro. little boy made a live to communicate that the direction of União Brasil decided to support another candidate. “I will not be running for governor.”
The decision comes days after the board of the Regional Electoral Court (TRE-RJ) unanimously rejected, in the plenary session, the former governor’s appeal in the case file for buying votes in the 2016 municipal elections. the politician to 13 years and nine months in prison and a fine. Under electoral law, a criminal conviction in the second instance renders the defendant ineligible for eight years following the conviction.
In March of last year, the TRE/RJ collegiate unanimously condemned Garotinho for the crimes of electoral corruption, criminal association, suppression of public document and coercion in the course of the process. As of Operation Chequinho, the Electoral Prosecutor’s Office in Campos dos Goytacazes had denounced the former governor for irregularly using the social program Cheque Cidadão, run by the Rio de Janeiro city hall, to co-opt votes for his political group. In that election year, the mayor was the defendant’s wife, Rosinha Matheus, and Garotinho was the municipal secretary of government. According to the Justice, the scheme granted the benefit, aimed at low-income families, in exchange for the commitment to vote for the nominated candidates.
Support
União Brasil will support the current governor Cláudio Castro (PL), candidate for reelection. Garotinho will decide until next Friday (22) whether he will be a candidate for another position or not. To make the decision, he will have conversations with his political group beforehand.
