Misconduct Hearings Begin

Brazil’s lower house ethics committee opens misconduct hearings today against the head of the Labor Party, Roberto Jefferson, who alleges that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s Workers’ Party bribed deputies for votes. The committee also plans to call former Communication Minister Miro Teixeira and the Labor Party’s lower house leader, Jose Mucio, to testify. Lula denies the allegations and says they are designed to damage him ahead of next year’s presidential election.