Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian President Michel Temer's defense team accused the attorney general of bias in a petition Tuesday that asked the country's highest court to remove him from an investigation involving the president.
A justice with the Supreme Federal Tribunal was reviewing the petition. There is no timeline for a decision.
The petition asks that another prosecutor take Attorney General Rodrigo Janot's place, but that point might be moot: Janot's post ends Sept. 17, when the new chief prosecutor takes over the post.
Tension between Temer and Janot has been rising in recent weeks.
Janot filed an indictment in June accusing Temer of corruption, but lawmakers decided last week that the president would not stand trial on the bribery charge while in office. Janot could bring more charges against Temer before he steps down, setting up another showdown in Congress.
Tuesday's petition presented a laundry list of complaints about Janot's statements and actions and accused him of breaching the constitutional limits of his post.
"The motivation, it seems, is personal," the petition read. "We are witnessing obsessive, persecutory conduct."
Temer's lawyers noted that Janot said recently he had strong evidence to support a possible obstruction of justice charge but that he has yet to present any specific proof.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
