Brazilian police raid homes of Speaker, tourism minister over graft

The impeachment proceedings, started this month by Rousseff’s archenemy, lower house Speaker Eduardo Cunha, risk plunging Brazil deeper into political turmoil as the government struggles to tackle the deepest recession since the early 1990s.

Federal police officers in front of the entrance of the home of Lower House speaker Eduardo Cunha in Brasilia, Brazil.

The early morning raids also targeted the residences of ex-Mining and Energy Minister Edison Lobao and Lower House lawmaker Anibal Gomes. The Lower House ethics committee was due to vote on Tuesday on proceeding with an investigation of whether Cunha lied about Swiss bank accounts, after his supporters used procedural measures to stall the hearing for weeks.

Barreto said it also weakens the PMDB by showing Brazilians that, even if Rousseff is removed, political instability stemming from the Petrobras corruption probe will continue.

“They will not achieve anything by attacking my record, which is known; I love my country and I’m honest”, she told a convention of youth groups late Wednesday in Brasilia.

 “Pressure on Cunha to go, from both his own party and the opposition, will be ramped up as questions grow over his [moral and political] authority to lead impeachment proceedings to oust the president”, political scientist Cristiano Noronha, of Brasília-based Arko Advice, told VICE News.

The government has long maneuvered to try to ensure that Cunha does not accept any of the growing pile of impeachment petitions lodged in Congress, while the formidable anti-Rousseff lobby has pressured him to proceed. Calls to the federal police in Brasilia were not immediately answered.

Cunha, who has been charged with taking bribes, launched the impeachment against Rousseff on December 2 based on an opposition allegation that she broke Brazil’s budget law to increase spending during her re-election campaign a year ago.

Most of the confirmed targets of Tuesday’s raids, including Cunha, belong to the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party.

The Federal Police officers stated in a press release it’s finishing up 53 search & seizure orders within the nation’s capital & different states as part of a broader probe in to politicians’ links to a scheme of kickbacks at state oil company Petrobras.