Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian lawmakers ousted Roberto Jefferson, the lower house deputy whose allegations of government corruption prompted a three-month-old congressional probe, after he said he received illegal campaign funds.

The lower house, in a 313-156 vote with 13 abstentions, removed Jefferson today from a seat he held for 22 years.

``As much as he rendered the nation great service by unveiling a corruption scheme, we can't ignore his confession,'' Onyx Lorenzoni, a deputy with the opposition Liberal Front Party who is part of a committee probing the graft claims, said in an interview before the vote. ``This house needs to restore credibility before Brazilians by defending the rule of law.''

Jefferson, 52, appealed earlier today to lawmakers to reconsider, saying the evidence was insufficient to expel him. Jefferson testified before congress on June 14 that he received 4.1 million reais ($1.8 million) of unreported campaign funds from President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Workers' Party.

In the same testimony, Jefferson said Lula's party bribed lawmakers to help win passage of government-sponsored legislation. Jefferson, who spoke for 41 minutes today before the house, repeatedly denied taking bribes in exchange for support.

Jefferson today said Lula, 59, played no role in any wrongdoing. Jose Dirceu, Lula's former Cabinet chief, was responsible for the bribes and the corruption during 2 1/2 years of government, Jefferson said.

``I am reiterating my accusations: the ruling party lied to the country,'' Jefferson said in a speech today in the house's voting hall in Brasilia. ``The president is a good man. He didn't take part in any corrupt scheme.''

Workers' Party

The proposal to remove Jefferson from congress is part of an effort by the legislature to oust any member named in the graft investigation. Dirceu has, in several statements since he resigned his government post in June, denied Jefferson's allegations that he knew about or ordered payoffs.

The Workers' Party said Aug. 17 that some members may have broken electoral laws without the knowledge of the party's leadership. The party, in several statements since June, has denied bribing lawmakers in exchange for votes in congress.

Eighteen other lawmakers may face expulsion because of the graft probes. Six of them -- all from Lula's party -- won an injunction today from the country's top court barring their ouster from congress.

The Federal Supreme Court said in a decision published on its Web site that the lower house's ethics committee deprived deputies Joao Paulo Cunha, Jose Mentor, Joao Magno, Paulo Rocha, Josias Gomes and Luiz Carlos da Silva of their right to a defense. The injunction orders the house to suspend indefinitely any probe and procedures aimed at throwing out the deputies.

Appeal

The committee is investigating whether the deputies took part in the payment of bribes to lawmakers in exchange for the passage of government legislation since 2003.

Jefferson, an opera aficionado, appeared on Brazilian news programs daily for several weeks in June. He can still appeal his ouster to the Supreme Court.

To contact the reporter on this story: Carlos Caminada in Brasilia at at ccaminada1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 14, 2005 21:24 EDT