Brazil's Senate leader to face corruption trial over child support payments

BRASILIA, Brazil, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Brazil's Supreme Federal Court said Renan Calheiros, president of the Federal Senate, will stand trial for alleged corruption in a case dating back to 2007.

"By a majority of votes, the plenary of the Supreme Federal Court in session on Wednesday partially received the complaint filed by the Attorney General's Office against Senator Renan Calheiros for the alleged practice of embezzlement," the Supreme Federal Court, or STF, said in a statement.

STF said Calheiros, 61, is accused of misappropriating public funds since 2007 to pay for child support for a child he had in an extramarital affair. Calheiros was first forced to resign in 2007 when the allegations first emerged, but he was re-elected in 2013 as leader of the Senate after allegations calmed.

He is accused of paying nearly $28,000 in child support by using a construction company that billed the Senate.

Calheiros is also being investigated separately for alleged involvement in the Petrobras corruption scandal. Dozens of Brazilian business leaders and politicians have been indicted for corruption, money laundering and racketeering over the scandal in Petrobras, a semi-public oil and gas company.