South America

Brazil's President Is Charged With Corruption, Accepting Bribes

Brazilian President Michel Temer is accused of accepting a $152,000 bribe from the head of a major meatpacking company.

Brazil's President Is Charged With Corruption, Accepting Bribes
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Brazil's current president helped lead efforts to get the last one impeached, but now he's facing corruption charges of his own.

The accusations against President Michel Temer are twofold: First, he's accused of accepting a $152,000 bribe from the head of a major meatpacking company.

That company, JBS, has been struggling with its own scandal. In plea deal testimony for corruption allegations, leaders of JBS accused Temer of taking bribes.

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Beyond the initial payment, Temer and one of his aides were reportedly guaranteed an additional $11 million.

Secondly, Temer reportedly told that same JBS leader to keep bribing someone else, and that was revealed thanks to a secretly recorded conversation.

Temer became Brazil’s president last year after his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff, was impeached for violating budget laws.

Some believed her removal was politically motivated. Rousseff was known as one of a few Brazilian politicians who didn't accept bribes.

Rousseff accused Temer of taking a bribe of almost $300,000 shortly after she was impeached.

A Supreme Court judge is now deciding if Temer's case should be sent to Brazil's lower house of Parliament. That house would then decide if he should stand on trial.