Brazilian Politician Caught Watching Porn On Phone During Legislative Session

Video of Brazil’s legislature caught João Rodrigues and other lawmakers ogling pornography and racy modeling photos during a vote on government reform. The video, released by SBT, shows Rodrigues, a federal deputy representing the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, opening multiple images of naked or scantily-clad women and alternating between hiding his phone under his desk, and showing his favorite image to male colleagues. João Rodrigues isn’t the first federal lawmaker to be caught watching porn on his phone, but he might be the first to defend himself in an interview.

“I participate in around 70 groups on Whatsapp, each one with 20 or 30 people, including 30 mayors and 150 councilors from all over the state of Santa Catarina. I always open messages on the floor during the session because I also receive questions or suggestions from [colleagues and constituents],” Rodrigues told Folha de São Paulo in an interview.

The female anchor for SBT describing Rodrigues’ questionable actions sounded disgusted “It was flagrant: one glance, another glance, phone in hand watching women in obscene acts.” The male writers who interviewed the the deputy were more sympathetic, opening their article by pointing out that he was probably very bored. “João Rodrigues (PSD-SC) wasn’t 100 percent focused during the extremely long debates on private finance reelection and other matters,” wrote Ranier Bragon of Folha.

Rodrigues isn’t alone in his scumbaggery and lack of concentration. British Tory MP Nigel Mills apologized to constituents after playing Candy Crush during a pensions committee session in 2014. Italian MP Simeone di Cagno Abbrescia, of Berlusconi’s Freedom Party, was eyed browsing an escorts website on his iPad in 2011. Despite multiple photos of him browsing through individual sex workers profiles, Abbrescia insisted that the site just popped up.