Federal Deputy Filipe Martins (PL-to) used public funds to pay for a trip to the United States to participate in the inauguration of the world headquarters, located in Inverness, Florida. The parliamentarian also participated in the world convention of the Church in the same city.
According to the portal, the trip took place from August 12 to 17, at the cost of R $ 16,376 – R $ 10,689 in daily rates (to cover spending on accommodation, local transportation and food) and R $ 5,687 in tickets.
The Chamber Regiment says that spending must be “exclusively linked to the exercise of parliamentary activity”.
In a statement, the deputy states that the trip was “strictly institutional” and lists different reasons for this, such as the fact that he is part of the evangelical parliamentary front and the social relevance of the Assembly of God Madureira.
Martins says he represented the Chamber at an “international event that brought together religious leaders and political authorities from various countries”, which tightened ties with the Assembly of God, “one of the largest partners of the Brazilian public power”, and, finally, that the mayor (Republicans-PB) attested that his trip fits in the house rule.
The parliamentarian is the son of the former federal deputy and pastor Maria Barbosa, both leaders of the Assembly of God in Tocantins. In a video recorded for social networks, he states that he participated in Conamad USA, convention of the Assemblies of God Ministry Madureira, as representative of his parents and other leaders and pastors of his state.
In the disclosure material of the Convention, the inauguration of the world’s world headquarters was presented as the main event. According to the description, the space has rooms, gym and cafeteria, which will serve for college that plan to build, besides the temple and offices for pastors.
“I believe this place symbolizes the expansion of our ministry and will be a milestone in the power of God and the salvation of souls,” Martins wrote on social networks.
The Madureira Ministry has as its main leader Bishop Samuel Ferreira, who, due to his influence, has been courted by different political groups. In 2022, Jair Bolsonaro (PL) participated in the Bishop Church. The following year, the vice president and ministers Alexandre Padilha and Wellington Dias participated in Conamad in Brasilia.
Samuel and his father, Bishop Primaz Manoel Ferreira, were also important articulators for that, Pastor Presbyterian, to be appointed Minister of the Supreme Court.
