Rui Costa’s wife is approved for a vacancy in court – 03/08/2023 – Power

The Legislative Assembly of Bahia approved, this Wednesday (8), the nomination of Aline Peixoto, wife of the Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa, for the position of counselor of the Court of Auditors of the Municipalities of Bahia.

In a secret ballot, state deputies approved Aline for the role by 40 votes against 19 for the other candidate, former state deputy Tom Araújo (União Brasil), in addition to 4 null votes. All 63 state legislators were present at the session. To be approved, a candidacy needed at least 32 votes.

The position of account counselor has a monthly salary of R$ 41.8 thousand with compulsory retirement upon reaching 75 years of age.

The articulation in favor of Aline Peixoto had the participation of Rui Costa backstage. The move by the Chief of Staff on behalf of his wife brought wear and tear to the PT political group in Bahia.

Senator Jaques Wagner (PT), Rui’s political godfather, publicly said he was against the nomination. In addition, the initiative generated criticism from PT voters.

The municipal audit court has the function of analyzing the accounts of the mayors of Bahian cities.

A Sheet revealed that the now-future counselor omitted from her resume that she has held a position in the state’s Health Department for at least nine years, including the eight years in which her husband was governor.

Aline Peixoto, who is a nurse, was appointed on May 5, 2014 as a special advisor to the secretariat, still in the government of Jaques Wagner, Rui Costa’s predecessor. She remained in her position in the government even after her husband took over the Government of Bahia in January 2015.

In the same period, she became president of the Social Volunteers, a non-profit organization traditionally led by the first lady of the state and which works in partnership with the government. Aline Peixoto also never ran for elected office.

The vacancy for the court has been open since May 2022, when counselor Raimundo Moreira retired. Since then, the Assembly has been postponing the nomination of a new name. To occupy the position, one must have “recognized moral integrity and knowledge of public administration”.

In the resume sent to the Legislative Assembly to register her candidacy for the position of counselor at the Court of Auditors, Aline reported that she held a position at the Health Department between 2012 and 2014 and said that, from 2015, she took over the management of Social Volunteers.

The articulation around Aline Peixoto gained strength at the end of last year after state deputy Alex Lima (PSB), a close ally of Rui Costa, gave up running for the vacancy to support the former first lady.

Other ministers in the Lula government also made efforts to appoint their wives to audit courts in states where they have political influence.

In the Assembly of Alagoas, the dispute for the position had six candidates, but Renata Calheiros, wife of the Minister of Transport, the former governor Renan Filho (MDB), was elected comfortably: she had 22 votes of the 24 state deputies present at the session.

With a degree in administration, the former first lady of Alagoas worked in the implementation of programs in the area of ​​education in the Municipality of Murici and the state government.

In Piauí, Rejane Dias, wife of the Minister of Social Development, former Governor Wellington Dias (PT), was unanimously elected with the votes of the 25 state deputies present after being nominated for the post by Governor Rafael Fonteles (PT).

With a degree in administration, she has already been a federal deputy, state deputy and secretary in the management of Wellington Dias.

The Minister of National Integration, Waldez Góes, is another name from the Lula government who has his wife in a Court of Auditors. The appointment of the then First Lady Marília Góes to the position took place in February 2022, when Waldez was still governor of Amapá.