Onyx Dornelles Lorenzoni (born 3 October 1954) is a Brazilian politician, businessman, and veterinarian. A member of the Liberal Party (PL), he served as a federal deputy from Rio Grande do Sul for five terms. After the 2018 Brazilian general election, the president-elect Jair Bolsonaro invited Lorenzoni to be his Chief of Staff.[1] He was also designated leader of the transition team.[2]

Onyx Lorenzoni
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
1 February 2003 – 31 January 2023
ConstituencyRio Grande do Sul
Minister of Labour and Social Security
In office
26 July 2021 – 31 March 2022
PresidentJair Bolsonaro
Preceded byCaio Vieira de Mello
Succeeded byJosé Carlos Oliveira
General Secretary of the Presidency
In office
12 February 2021 – 26 July 2021
PresidentJair Bolsonaro
Preceded byJorge Oliveira
Succeeded byLuiz Eduardo Ramos
Minister of Citizenship
In office
18 February 2020 – 12 February 2021
PresidentJair Bolsonaro
Preceded byOsmar Terra
Succeeded byJoão Roma
Chief of Staff of the Presidency
In office
1 January 2019 – 18 February 2020
PresidentJair Bolsonaro
Preceded byEliseu Padilha
Succeeded byWalter Braga Netto
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul
In office
1 January 1995 – 1 January 2003
ConstituencyAt-large
Personal details
Born
Onyx Dornelles Lorenzoni

(1954-10-03) 3 October 1954 (age 70)
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Political partyPL (2022–present)
Other political
affiliations
  • PL (1987–1997)
  • DEM (1997–2022)
Parents
  • Rheno Julio Lorenzoni (father)
  • Dalva Dornelles Lorenzoni (mother)
EducationFederal University of Santa Maria (BA)

In 2022, he ran to become Rio Grande do Sul's governor. In the 2022 gubernatorial elections, he came in 1st place with 37.5% of the vote in the 1st round. However, he failed to get elected in the second round, receiving 42.88% of the vote against Eduardo Leite.[3]

Biography

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Lorenzoni was elected State Deputy of Rio Grande do Sul in 1994 for the Liberal Party (PL) (merged with Party of the Republic in 2006). In 2003, now in the Liberal Front Party (PFL), he was elected Federal Deputy, being one of the strongest opponents of the government of president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Workers' Party (PT).

During his terms in the Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzoni was a member of the Mixed Inquiry Parliamentary Committee (CPMI), investigating Correios,[4] Cachoeira (illegal gambling entrepreneur Carlinhos Cachoeira),[5] and Petrobras.[6]

On 2016, Lorenzoni voted for the impeachment of then president Dilma Rousseff (PT).[7] During the government of Michel Temer (MDB), Lorenzoni supported the Constitutional Amendment nº.95 (New Tax Regime) and Labor Reform.[7] On August and September 2017, the Deputy voted against the reports that rejected two complaints made by the then Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot against president Temer.[7][8]

On 14 March 2017, Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot sent to the Supreme Federal Court 83 inquiries based in pleas made by 78 executives of Odebrecht,[9] being mentioned in Odebrecht testimonies.[10] In June 2018, Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux rejected the inquiry: "The steps taken were not enough to elucidate the materiality of the alleged crime".[11] To the RBS TV, Lorenzoni assumed the irregularity, claiming that he "couldn't" declare the money to the Electoral Justice, and that the cipher would be less than the R$200,000[a] cited by Ricardo Saud.[12]

Lorenzoni is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil.[13]

In June 2020 he was diagnosed with COVID-19.[14]

Positions

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Anti-corruption measures

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In 2016, Lorenzoni was part of the committee that turned the ten anti-corruption measures proposed by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office into law. During the process of discussion, four versions of the report were presented.

The first report Lorenzoni presented on 9 November criminalised "caixa 2" and proposed integrity tests for public agents with solely administrative consequences, while the original text had proposed criminal and civil lawsuits.[15]

The second report, presented on 21 November, typified the crime of "caixa 2", with sentences of two to five years for people who use non-declared resources in electoral campaigns.[16] These changes were seen as a way for politicians who used "caixa 2" before the change in law to seek amnesty, although the report had not proposed the amnesty directly.[17] Also, vote selling was typified as crime. This version had 17 measures.

Lorenzoni's third report on 22 November decreased the number of measures from 17 to 12, removing those that mentioned popular lawsuits and international cooperation pleas.[18]

The fourth report, with 20 changes from the previous one, was presented on 23 November. Among the changes there were: raising the minimum amount required for active and passive corruption to be considered a major crime from 100 to 10,000 minimum wage equivalents (about R$8.8 million); removal of the time to set up investigations and finish denounces;[clarification needed] prosecuting those who practice it in the name of a candidate (in addition to the candidates themselves, their political parties and donors).[19] The Committee unanimously approved this version the same day, with 30 votes in favour.[20]

Prison in second instance

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In October 2016, Lorenzoni supported the decision of the Supreme Federal Court of allowing the prison of defendants convicted in second instance, and said the will include it among the anti-corruptions measures. "What are we gonna do? We're gonna bring this decision of the Supreme Federal Court and put in the final report. In other words, from now on, there is a decision of the Supreme Court and in a few months there will be, in the Brazilian Code of Penal Procedure, the same decision confirmed in a law by the Brazilian parliament", he said.[21][22]

"Caixa 2" amnesty

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In November 2016, Lorenzoni opposed "caixa 2" amnesty,[23] along with Deputies Fernando Francischini (SD-PR),[23] Alessandro Molon (REDE-RJ),[24] Vanderlei Macris (PSDB-SP),[25] Carlos Sampaio (PSDB-SP),[25] Joaquim Passarinho (PSD-PA),[25] and Senators Alvaro Dias (PV-PR)[26] and Ana Amélia Lemos (PP-RS),[27] listening to the claims of the civil society that signed for the approval of the 10 Anti-corruption Measures, and of the Public Prosecutor's Office, author of the bill.[23]

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In November 2016, in an interview in the Brazilian TV show Roda Viva, Deputy Lorenzoni reaffirmed his opposition to legal immunity. "There is, in the country, a feeling of impunity. I hope the Congress take this moment to make a conciliation with the streets. The parliamentaries need to have capacity and humility to listen to the voice of the streets".[28]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ US$54,123 as of 3 November 2018.

References

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  1. ^ "A trajetória de Onyx Lorenzoni, futuro ministro da Casa Civil de Bolsonaro" (in Portuguese). Exame. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  2. ^ Alegretti, Laís; Carvalho, Daniel (31 October 2018). "Equipe de Bolsonaro entrega 22 nomes do grupo de transição ao Planalto" (in Portuguese). Folha de S. Paulo. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Onyx Lorenzoni (PL) e Eduardo Leite (PSDB) disputam 2º turno no RS; veja resultado" (in Portuguese). G1 Globo. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Composição da CPMI - Correios - 2005" (in Portuguese). Senado Federal. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  5. ^ "Entenda como funciona a CPI do Cachoeira no Congresso" (in Portuguese). O Globo. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Composição da CPMI - PETROBRAS - 2014" (in Portuguese). Senado Federal. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  7. ^ a b c "Veja como deputados votaram no impeachment de Dilma, na PEC 241, na reforma trabalhista e na denúncia contra Temer" (in Portuguese). G1. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Votação da rejeição da 2ª denúncia contra Temer" (in Portuguese). G1. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Petições em março de 2017" (in Portuguese). Ministério Público Federal. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Delação da Odebrecht: Onyx Lorenzoni é suspeito de financiar campanha com dinheiro de caixa 2" (in Portuguese). G1. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  11. ^ Cury, Teo; Pupo, Amanda (8 June 2018). "STF arquiva inquérito contra Onyx Lorenzoni por caixa 2" (in Portuguese). Estadão. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  12. ^ Fruet, Nathalia (19 May 2017). "Relator do pacote anticorrupção na Câmara confirma ter recebido doações irregulares da JBS" (in Portuguese). G1. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  13. ^ "Evangélicos são protagonistas na luta contra corrupção em Brasília" (in Portuguese). Gospel Prime. 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  14. ^ "Ministro Onyx Lorenzoni diz que está com Covid-19" (in Brazilian Portuguese). G1. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  15. ^ Calgaro, Fernanda (9 November 2016). "Relator apresenta a comissão parecer sobre projeto anticorrupção" (in Portuguese). G1. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  16. ^ Garcia, Gustavo; Caram, Bernardo (21 November 2016). "Onyx inclui crime de caixa 2 em novo parecer do pacote anticorrupção" (in Portuguese). G1. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  17. ^ Alessi, Gil (25 November 2016). "O que é a anistia para o caixa 2 eleitoral e como atinge a Lava Jato?" (in Portuguese). El País. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  18. ^ Calgaro, Fernanda (22 November 2016). "Em novo parecer, relator reduz de 17 para 12 as medidas contra corrupção" (in Portuguese). G1. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  19. ^ Calgaro, Fernanda (23 November 2016). "Relator apresenta quarta versão de parecer sobre pacote anticorrupção" (in Portuguese). G1. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  20. ^ Nascimento, Luciano (23 November 2016). "Comissão aprova texto de relator e projeto anticorrupção vai para plenário" (in Portuguese). Bol. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  21. ^ "Prisão após 2ª instância será incluída em pacote anticorrupção, diz relator" (in Portuguese). G1. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Prisão após segunda instância recebe elogios" (in Portuguese). Jornal Nacional. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  23. ^ a b c Nascimento, Luciano (23 November 2016). "Presidente e relator de comissão anticorrupção repudiam anistia a caixa dois" (in Portuguese). Agência Brasil. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  24. ^ ""No Congresso parece existir fantasma", diz Molon sobre anistia ao caixa dois" (in Portuguese). Jovem Pan. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  25. ^ a b c "Tentativa de votar proposta sobre caixa dois é alvo de críticas em comissão especial" (in Portuguese). Câmara dos Deputados. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  26. ^ "Alvaro Dias critica tentativa de anistia a quem fez "caixa dois"" (in Portuguese). Senado Notícias. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  27. ^ "Senadora é contra tentativa de anistiar Caixa 2" (in Portuguese). Senadora Ana Amélia. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  28. ^ Nunes, Branca (26 November 2016). "Onyx Lorenzoni no Roda Viva: O foro privilegiado é uma excrescência que precisa ser eliminada" (in Portuguese). Veja. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
Political offices
Preceded by Chief of Staff of the Presidency
2019–2020
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Citizenship
2020–21
Succeeded by
João Roma
Vacant
Title last held by
Jorge Oliveira
Secretary-General of the Presidency
2021
Succeeded by
Position reestablished Minister of Labour and Social Security
2021–2022
Succeeded by
José Carlos Oliveira