Patrimonial evolution incompatible with parliamentary earnings and the reforms in assets declarations control systems
Michael Freitas Mohallem, Guilherme de Jesus France, Fernanda Scovino e João Carabetta
Asset declarations are relevant instruments for identifying signs of corruption and for controlling situations that present greater risk of conflicts of interest. The Electoral Justice turns the asset declaration of political candidates public, but this fulfills its purpose of transparency only partially. Candidates' relation of assets are imprecise lack complementary data that could allow to comprehend the trajectory of the patrimonial evolution as well as the sources of income.
This research related the patrimonial growth of congressmen elected in 2006 and 2010 and identified that 64.71% of federal deputies, 75.46% of state and district deputies and 66.67% of senators surveyed registered higher patrimony at the end of the mandates. Among federal deputies, 11% to 14% registered an assets evolution equivalent to the accumulation of 100% or more of the value of all the subsidies received for the parliamentary function.
The result does not allow us to state whether the resources that brought about the raising of assets are of legitimate origin, but it undermines public confidence in politicians and, especially, in the public institutions. In this context, it is argued that three legislative reforms are required: a) the adaptation of the requirement for the submission of assets declarations by candidates before the TSE; b) the criminalization of illicit enrichment; and c) the notification to explain wealth incompatible with the income and economic capacity of its holder.
