Individuals have already donated more than R $ 140 million in these elections | Choice in numbers

The survey shows that 42,215 people chose to transfer the money directly to the candidates. The sum of these donations is R $ 130 million. Another 2,359 people donated R $ 11.6 million to party organs, which allocate the money. The data also shows that 206 people donated to both candidates and directories.

In total, 59 people donated more than R $ 100 thousand to the candidates. The majority of the donors (89%), however, allocated smaller amounts for the requests, up to R $ 5,000.

As for the party directories, the transfer exceeded R $ 100,000 with only five donors. For this survey, the category “Resources of the people” was considered, informed in the provision of electoral accounts available in the TSE.

Political scientist Bruno Fernando da Silva says that, historically, donations from individuals in Brazil correspond to a small percentage of the total collected by candidates. The UFMG doctoral student in political science also adds that mistrust in political institutions and low identification with parties help voters not feel motivated to donate.

For him, with the pandemic, “if asking for a vote is already difficult under these conditions, the money is even more.”

“This happens for various reasons. On the party and candidate side, there is little effort to create campaigns and organize fundraising events. These actors prefer to seek resources with few (but large) donors. In the past, these donors were companies, investing enough money so that it was not necessary to go to citizens. Today they are the parties (which have their main source of income in the State). As a result, a culture of citizen financing has never been created in the country, ”he says.

For him, the ideal is that the candidates have dispersed sources of funds “to minimize the risk of attracting public entities for private interests through campaign donations.”

Despite this, he points out that the donation does not necessarily take away the independence of a candidate, since the donor tends to look for candidates with similar visions to his. “The action of a politician in favor of a cause cannot be linked immediately and exclusively to the receipt of campaign resources.”

“It is necessary to create incentives for citizens to contribute with candidates or parties of their choice. The risk that we run by leaving society aside for campaign financing is that the political class moves further away from the population to get closer to the party elites and the State, which are its main donors.

The political scientist also affirms that the limit for the donation of individuals makes electoral competition even more unequal because it establishes different ceilings for rich and poor. Currently, this limit is 10% of the gross income recorded by the donor in the year prior to the election.

“It is necessary to establish a donation ceiling that is common to all, as is done in practically all countries that adopt this practice. Arriving at an ideal value is not an easy task. The ceiling must be realistic, that is, it cannot be too low so that there is no incentive to circumvent it and not too high to the point that few donors can ‘catch’ the candidates. “

The person who transferred the most money in these elections, at the moment, was the businessman Eugênio Pacelli Mattar, CEO of Localiza. The amount donated by the businessman is R $ 1.2 million, distributed among four candidates for councilor and one candidate for mayor. All are affiliated with Novo and compete in Belo Horizonte. In the 2018 elections, the businessman also donated to campaigns. There was a total of R $ 749 thousand, according to the provision of electoral accounts available in the TSE.

In a note, the Localiza businessman says that “individual support for political parties is a form of legitimate participation in the development of a democratic and plural society” and that “it represents citizen support for causes considered relevant and that must be debated by the society”. . “It was my own initiative, unrelated to the business in which I work, and in accordance with the provisions provided by law.”

“My biggest investment in the transformation of the Brazilian reality is dedicated to philanthropy, my greatest passion, which has generated benefits in education and in promoting entrepreneurship in many communities. Anyway, I believe that by investing in politics, we can impact the lives of millions of people in a more comprehensive and structured way, ”he says.

The businessman José Salim Mattar Junior, founder of Localiza, appears next in the ranking of the biggest donors of these elections. He donated R $ 840,000 to 57 candidates in these elections. The largest donation was for the former minister Mendonça Filho, who aspires to the City of Recife for the DEM: R $ 200,000. The candidate also transferred R $ 1,000 to 53 candidates for councilor. In the 2018 elections, he donated a total of R $ 2.9 million.

In a note, the founder of Localiza says that “strengthening the policy with the need for a better qualification of our candidates for the municipal, state and federal levels is of fundamental importance.” He also affirms that “a modern idea is necessary, mainly in reducing the size of the State, seeking a better quality of life for future generations.” Salim Mattar also adds that he is not affiliated with any political party, but that he “supports predominantly, but not exclusively, candidates for councilor and mayor for El Novo.”

“The supported names suggest through suggestions coming from the party, from the federal deputies of Novo and from individual commitment to liberal ideas. All donations are in accordance with the rules of the Electoral Justice, respecting the limit of 10% of their gross income in the previous year ”, says the note.

The businessman Odacir Antonelli, owner of the Repinho timber company, is for now the third largest donor in these elections. It transferred R $ 250 thousand to the municipal directory of the PSL in Guarapuava (PR) and another R $ 500 thousand directly for requests from the same city. This part of the money was destined to the mayoral candidate Celso Góes (Citizenship) and also to 13 candidates for councilor from different parties. In the 2018 elections, Odacir Antonelli transferred R $ 560 thousand to seven candidates.

In a note, the businessman says that he has a “habit of donating to politicians in all elections” and that “this is another [eleição]He adds that he considered “the composition of partisan alliances” to define the names of the candidates to whom he made donations and that the values ​​respect the limit established by the Electoral Justice.

Senator and businessman from the hotel sector Eduardo Girão also appears in the survey. Elected by PROS in 2018, the senator transferred about R $ 700 thousand to 18 candidates. Among the recipients of the money are Capitão Wagner (PROS) and Emília Pessoa (PSDB), who are running for mayor of Fortaleza and Caucaia (CE), respectively. The PROS candidate obtained R $ 500 thousand; and PSDB, with R $ 70 thousand.

In a note, the Girão publicist says that the donation was made “because I believe that politics is the great way for a social transformation that brings justice, peace and progress.” The election of the candidates, according to the text, considered the causes in which the senator believes.

“If I can, I feel obliged to encourage candidates who, in addition to their managerial skills, have principles and values ​​consistent with my worldview, including their willingness to face the great wound of our nation, which is corruption. I am faithfully following the legislation that allows a person to donate up to 10% of the annual gross income reported to the IRS, ”he says.

The general director of the Faculty of Medicine of Olinda (FMO), Inácio de Barros Melo Neto, transferred R $ 500 thousand to the municipal directory of the PSB in Recife. He also donated another 50 thousand reais to two candidates for councilor of the city of Recife. In 2018, he also invested money in campaigns. At that time, in total, it was R $ 160 thousand, the highest participation (R $ 140 thousand) for the then candidate for federal deputy João Campos (PSB). The FMO press office did not send a note to the G1.

Shortly after, businessman José Humberto Souza, owner of the Hiperideal supermarket chain, appeared. The businessman allocated R $ 510 thousand to only two candidates. They are: Teobaldo Costa (DEM), who is running for mayor of Lauro de Freitas (BA), and Anísio Viana (PSDB), who is trying to be elected mayor of Casa Nova (BA). Costa received R $ 310 thousand and Viana, R $ 200 thousand. The employer was not found by G1.

The president of the construction company MRV, Rafael Menin, is another important donor of these elections. He transferred R $ 500 thousand to the candidacy of João Vitor Xavier (Citizenship), who intends to be elected mayor of Belo Horizonte in these elections. In the 2018 elections, the amount donated by Rafael Menín was R $ 204 thousand. MRV’s press office says the businessman does not want to speak.

The businessman Luis Alberto Saldanha Nicolau, president of the Samel Group, also donated R $ 500 thousand. The recipient of the money was Brother Ricardo Nicolau, candidate for mayor of Manaus. In 2018, the healthcare entrepreneur transferred R $ 160,000 to two candidates: Ricardo Nicolau himself, who wanted to be elected state deputy, and Luiz Fernando Sarmento Nicolau, another brother of the businessman who was seeking the mandate of federal deputy.

In a note, the businessman says that the donation to his brother “complies with legal requirements” and that “the money is the result of hard work in the private sector, with a clean origin.” “The president of the Samel Group emphasizes that the only candidacy that has his support is that of his brother, in which he invests and will invest his own resources, always legally, if necessary, and it is because he believes that the candidate Ricardo Nicolau , his brother, is the only one who has the competence to manage the city ”.

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