The decision from Monday (20) said the city increased its municipal administration’s advertising spending by more than 4,000% in 2019 compared to the previous two years.
The two, however, remain in office until appeals are heard.
The defense of Casagrande and Osmar Leonardi said they disagree with the findings of the verdict.
“There was important evidence and arguments that were not taken into account. The representatives are confident that the conviction will be overturned by filing an appeal with the Paraná District Electoral Court, ”they said in a note.
According to the ruling, about R $ 170,000 was spent on advertising in the last week of 2019, and materials were used up during 2020, the year that the mayor and vice president were running for re-election.
“The abuse of political and economic power must be recognized and the seriousness must be marked by the mismatch in income and expenditure between candidates and the expectation that campaign advertising will translate into institutional advertising, which has given the re-elected candidate a significant advantage through personal advancement in the use of public resources.” – the resolution says.
The electoral court also ruled that the mayor of Casagrande was barred from being elected for eight years after the 2020 elections.
As for the deputy mayor, the judge realized that Osmar Leonardi did not contribute to the abuse, but he benefited from his re-election, so he decided that it would only be possible to withdraw the diploma, not considering it unacceptable.
