The political crisis born out of a Folha investigation of a scheme of fake House candidates from Bolsonaro's party PSL led to the first firing of a minister in the current administration.
Gustavo Bebianno's firing from the Presidency's General Secretariat was confirmed on Monday (18th). Retired general Floriano Peixoto, previously Bebianno's deputy, will replace him.
The former minister was the center of a crisis within Bolsonaro's inner circle after Folha reported on the scheme, created to embezzle money from the federal government's campaign fund. Bebianno was the head of PSL during the 2018 general elections, and Bolsonaro's central campaign promise was a purge of unethical behavior and corrupted individuals from Brazilian politics.
Bebianno's dismissal is an issue among Bolsonaro's allies because he has been threatening to expose other politicians.
One of the targets would be councilman Carlos Bolsonaro, one of the president's sons, who worsened the crisis when he called out Bebianno on social media for lying. This interference was criticized by the president's inner circle, who were trying to keep Bebianno in office.
Translated by NATASHA MADOV