{{short description|Brazilian politician (born 1953)}} {{Portuguese name|Monteiro|Francisco}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Roberto Jefferson | image = Roberto Jefferson.jpg | office = National President of PTB | term_start = 14 April 2016 | term_end = 10 November 2021 | predecessor = Cristiane Brasil | successor = Kassyo Santos Ramos (acting) | office1 = Member of the Chamber of Deputies | term_start1 = 1 February 1983 | term_end1 = 15 September 2005 | constituency1 = Rio de Janeiro | birth_name = Roberto Jefferson Monteiro Francisco | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|6|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | party = Independent (2023–present) | other_party = {{Plainlist| * MDB (1971–1979) * PDS (1979–1980) * PTB (1982–2023) }} | children = {{Plainlist| * Cristiane Brasil * Fabiana Brasil * Roberto Francisco Neto }} | mother = Neusa Dalva Monteiro | father = Roberto Francisco | alma_mater = Estácio de Sá University (LL.B.) | spouse = {{Marriage|Ana Lúcia Novaes|2015}}<ref name="marriage">{{cite web|url=https://politica.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,em-declaracao-para-noiva--jefferson-faz-referencia-a-frase-dita-para-dirceu,1696793|title=Roberto Jefferson se casa e menciona mensalão em declaração à noiva|publisher=Estadão|language=pt|first=Luciana|last=Nunes Leal|date=29 May 2015|accessdate=3 January 2018}}</ref> | awards = {{MilAward Desc|COMM}} }} '''Roberto Jefferson Monteiro Francisco'''{{efn|{{IPA|pt|ʁoˈbɛʁ.tu ˈʒɛ.feʁ.sõ mõˈte(j).ɾu fɾɐ̃ˈsis.ku}}}} (born 14 June 1953) is a Brazilian politician.
==Personal life and education== He was born on 14 June 1953, in Petrópolis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He is the son of Neusa Dalva Monteiro Francisco and Roberto Francisco. Roberto Jefferson is married to Ana Lúcia Novaes.<ref name="marriage"/>
He finished his high school studies at Werneck School in Petrópolis and received a law degree in 1979 from the Estácio de Sá University in Rio de Janeiro.
==Various parties== His political career began officially in 1971 when he joined the MDB (known as PMDB since 1979) party. Jefferson remained in MDB until 1979, when he went to the Progressive Party (PP). He left the PP in 1980 and he joined the Brazilian Labour Party (PTB), which his grandfather helped to form in 1945.
==Career with the PTB== Jefferson and his party were one of the key supporters of the right-wing Fernando Collor de Mello government, and a key defender in Congress during the influence peddling scandal which led to Collor's impeachment.<ref name="folha">[https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/brasil/ult96u69620.shtml Saiba mais sobre Roberto Jefferson, pivô da crise no governo, Lula]. Folha Online. 13 June 2007.</ref>
In 1993, he was cited in a congressional report which investigated bribery in the congressional budgeting committee as an individual who should be "investigated further". Ultimately his financial assets were deemed compatible with his declared income, though undeclared assets were found.<ref name="folha" />
In 1999, he became the leader of the PTB party in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies. He continued as their leader until 2002. In February 2003, PTB elected him as its National President.
==Corruption scandal and other controversies== In 2005, Jefferson became involved in a corruption scandal related to the Correios, the Brazilian postal administration. Facing a congressional inquiry related to his actions, Jefferson retaliated by exposing a cash-for-votes scheme, where he claimed congressmen were paid monthly sums in exchange for votes supporting president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in what became known as the Mensalão scandal. The scandal included dozens of parliamentarians of the government's coalition and two government ministers, among others, resulting in the indictment of forty people by the Supreme Federal Tribunal, for their alleged role in one of the country's biggest corruption scandals in recent years.
He was expelled from Congress on 14 September 2005, stemming from his actions in the Correios scandal.<ref>[https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultnot/crise/ultimas/2005/09/14/ult3160u46.jhtm Por 313 votos a favor e 156 contra, Câmara cassa Roberto Jefferson]. UOL Notícias. 14 September 2005. Retrieved on 14 October 2007.</ref> The expulsion barred him from being elected to any public office until 2015.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4676435.stm Q&A: Brazil corruption scandal]. BBC News. 4 September 2007. Retrieved on 14 October 2007.</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news|last=Gilban|first=Marcus M.|title=Brazilian Jews file complaint over a politician who said Jews sacrifice children|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/brazilian-jews-file-complaint-over-politician-who-said-jews-sacrifice-children/|access-date=23 March 2021|website=The Times of Israel|date=23 March 2021 |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref> In 2016 he was elected as leader of the PTB.
In March 2021, Jefferson posted a post on Instagram accusing Jews of sacrificing children, which drew massive criticism from Jewish organisations and led to the removal of the post.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Confederação Israelita vai apresentar notícia-crime contra Roberto Jefferson por racismo|url=https://g1.globo.com/jornal-nacional/noticia/2021/03/20/confederacao-israelita-vai-apresentar-noticia-crime-contra-roberto-jefferson-por-racismo.ghtml|access-date=23 March 2021|website=G1|date=20 March 2021 |language=pt-br}}</ref> The Brazilian Israelite Confederation confirmed it was preparing to file charges against Jefferson.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Confederação Israelita prepara notícia-crime contra Roberto Jefferson|url=https://veja.abril.com.br/brasil/confederacao-israelita-prepara-noticia-crime-contra-roberto-jefferson/|access-date=23 March 2021|website=VEJA|language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Redação|date=21 March 2021|title=Confederação Israelita vai denunciar Roberto Jefferson por antissemitismo|url=https://www.cartacapital.com.br/politica/confederacao-israelita-vai-denunciar-roberto-jefferson-por-antissemitismo/|access-date=23 March 2021|website=CartaCapital|language=pt-BR}}</ref>
On 13 August 2021, Jefferson was arrested on allegations of attacking democracy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://noticias.uol.com.br/politica/ultimas-noticias/2021/08/13/stf-determina-prisao-de-ex-deputado-bolsonarista-roberto-jefferson.htm|title =Roberto Jefferson é preso pela PF, após determinação de Alexandre de Moraes}}</ref> Since 24 January 2022 Roberto Jefferson is under house arrest.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.poder360.com.br/justica/moraes-coloca-roberto-jefferson-em-prisao-domiciliar/|title = Moraes coloca Roberto Jefferson em prisão domiciliar|date = 25 January 2022}}</ref> On 23 October, Jefferson threw grenades and exchanged gunfire against agents of the Federal Police of Brazil coming to take him to prison after his house arrest was revoked after he insulted and threatened Supreme Federal Court minister Cármen Lúcia. Two officers were wounded in the incident.<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 October 2022 |title=Vídeo. Roberto Jefferson troca tiros com PF, e uma policial é ferida |url=https://www.metropoles.com/distrito-federal/na-mira/video-roberto-jefferson-troca-tiros-com-pf-e-agente-e-baleado |access-date=23 October 2022 |website=Metrópoles |language=pt-BR}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www2.camara.gov.br/deputados Brazilian Chamber of Deputies]
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Cristiane Brasil}} {{s-ttl|title=National President of Brazilian Labor Party|years=2016–2021}} {{s-aft|after=Kassyo Santos Ramos (acting)}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferson, Roberto}} Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:People from Petrópolis Category:Brazilian whistleblowers Category:Brazilian Democratic Movement politicians Category:Progressistas politicians Category:Brazilian Labour Party (1981) politicians Category:Conservatism in Brazil Category:Democratic Renewal Party (Brazil) politicians Category:Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil) from Rio de Janeiro (state) Category:Brazilian politicians convicted of corruption Category:Far-right politics in Brazil Category:Antisemitism in Brazil