Foreign Affairs Dems Press for Info on Ethanol Tariffs

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Two top Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee are seeking more information from the U.S. ambassador to Brazil after it was reported that he asked the Brazilian government to reduce ethanol tariffs in order to help Trump's chances at reelection. New York Rep. Eliot Engel, the chair of the committee, and Albio Sires (D-N.J.), chair of the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security and Trade Subcommittee, wrote to Ambassador Todd Chapman in a letter Friday that they are "extremely alarmed" by a report in Brazilian newspaper O Globo that, according to the lawmakers, said Chapman raised "the importance for the [Jair] Bolsonaro government of maintaining Donald Trump as U.S. President" and pointed to Iowa as a key player in Trump's bid for reelection. "Hence the importance — according to Chapman — for the Bolsonaro government to do the U.S. a favor," the newspaper reported, according to the lawmakers.

Engel and Sires write that such statements are "completely inappropriate for a U.S. ambassador to make," and if confirmed would potentially violate the Hatch Act. They call for Chapman to respond in writing by Tuesday on whether the allegations are true and to provide complete descriptions of all conversations he's had with Brazilian government officials on ethanol tariffs and the U.S. presidential election. "Given the events of 2016, it is all the more important for U.S. ambassadors serving our country abroad to not insert themselves into U.S. elections or encourage foreign government officials from any branch of government to do so," they write.

A State Department spokesperson told ME any allegations suggesting Chapman asked Brazilians to support a specific U.S. candidate are false. The U.S., the spokesperson added, "has long been focused on reducing tariff barriers and will continue do so." READ MORE

Excerpt from New York Times: The O Globo newspaper published a story on Thursday saying Mr. Chapman had underscored “the importance to the Brazilian government of keeping Donald Trump” in office. Mr. Bolsonaro, a far-right leader, has made closer alignment with the Trump administration his top foreign policy priority.

A competing newspaper, Estadão, published an article Friday saying its reporters independently confirmed that the ambassador framed his argument against tariffs in partisan terms. The article said the Brazilian officials who met with Mr. Chapman rejected the appeal, declining to be drawn into the American presidential battle.

Neither article named its sources. But Alceu Moreira, a Brazilian congressman who heads the agricultural caucus, told The New York Times in an interview that Mr. Chapman had made repeated references to the electoral calendar during a recent meeting the two had about ethanol.

He said that Mr. Chapman did not explicitly urge him to help the Trump campaign or bring up the contest in Iowa — but that the American ambassador did tie the ethanol issue to the election.

“He said, ‘You know, we have elections in the United States, and that this is very important,’” Mr. Moreira said, recounting their conversation. “He said this four or five times.”

...

The committee’s letter also took issue with Mr. Chapman’s defense of a video promoting the Trump campaign that Eduardo Bolsonaro, a federal lawmaker and a son of President Jair Bolsonaro, posted Sunday on Twitter.

The video ends with a slide that says “Trump 2020: The Great Victory.”

...

Mr. Engel and Mr. Sires, a Democrat from New Jersey, said the ambassador should have responded differently.

“While Mr. Bolsonaro has the right to speak freely, it is simply not appropriate for sitting government officials — in any branch of government — to promote the campaigns of candidates in the United States,” the congressmen wrote. “We frankly believe that you should know better.”

...

Congressman Arnaldo Jardim, who leads a Brazilian congressional bloc that supports ethanol producers, said Mr. Chapman has been negotiating with a sense of urgency as the deadline approaches.

“Let’s just say he’s putting pressure” on Brazilian officials, said Mr. Jardim, adding that he had not personally met with the ambassador about this issue, but regularly speaks to several officials who have. “He’s saying that this is paramount for the United States and paramount for Trump.” READ MORE