TSE declares Jair Bolsonaro ineligible for the second time

247 - The plenary of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) ruled on Tuesday to convict Jair Bolsonaro for abuse of political power, misuse of media, and prohibited conduct during the Bicentennial celebrations of Brazil's Independence in 2022, shortly before the general elections in October that year.

Five of the seven members of the electoral court's plenary - including the rapporteur, the general auditor Benedito Gonçalves - decided to render the former occupant of the Planalto Palace ineligible for 8 years and to pay a fine of 425,640 reais.

Gonçalves found that there was a clear link between the bicentennial celebrations of Independence and the Bolsonaro and Braga Netto campaign. According to him, this connection was evident in party meetings and electoral advertisements on television, in which supporters were summoned for the event. He recommended an 8-year ineligibility sentence.

He emphasized that, in the electoral broadcasts of September 6, messages were disseminated linking the bicentennial celebration and all its symbolism to the campaign of those involved.

Both Bolsonaro and Braga Netto, then a vice-presidential candidate on Bolsonaro's ticket, face charges of political and economic power abuse, as well as the inappropriate use of media. It's alleged that both benefited in their candidacies by participating in official bicentennial events of Independence, held on September 7.

Bolsonaro has already been declared ineligible by the TSE for the next elections due to a conviction in the judgment related to a meeting with ambassadors. However, due to a difference of just a few days, he might be able to run in 2030. It's important to note that ineligibility penalties from different actions are not cumulative with the first conviction.