Introduction
Gleisi Helena Hoffmann (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈɡlejzɪ e̞ˈlẽnɐ] or [ˈɡlejzj ɛˈlẽnɐ ˈɦɔfmɐ̃], born September 6, 1965 in Curitiba, Brazil) is a lawyer and Brazilian politician. She was the Chief of Staff of Brazil from June 8, 2011 to February 2, 2014, during the presidency of Dilma Rousseff.
Biography
Born into a religious family of German origin, she began her involvement in politics in the student movement during her youth, becoming a Partido dos Trabalhadores' member in 1989.
Graduated in law in the Centro Universitário Curitiba (Faculdade de Direito de Curitiba).
Known for her public management skills, Hoffmann has served as state secretary in Mato Grosso do Sul and as municipal secretary in the city of Londrina.
She was a member of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's presidential transition team in 2002, and served as the financial director at the hydroelectric dam Itaipu Binacional from 2003 to 2006.
She ran for the Federal Senate of Brazil in 2006 and for the office of mayor of Curitiba in 2008, losing both elections. At the time, she was the president of PT in the state of Paraná.
In October 2010, Hoffmann was elected to the Senate, receiving over 3.1 million votes, the most voted senator from the state of Paraná and the first woman to hold the office. After four months in office, she was appointed Chief of Staff, the highest-ranking member of Brazil's Executive Office, by President Dilma Rousseff.
Hoffmann was accused of receiving R$1.000.000,00 of Petrobras dirty money in her campaign to the Senate in 2010. She is currently under investigation by the Supreme Court for that alleged crime.
Gleisi is the wife of the ex-Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo. They have two children.
In June 23, 2016, her husband Paulo Bernardo was arrested by the Federal Police charged of receiving bribery from the Federal Government loan program for retired workers. In June 29, 2016, Paulo Bernardo was released from jail as per a preliminary monocratic decision taken by the Brazilian Supreme Court Minister Dias Toffoli, who was, in the past, attorney of the Worker's Party (PT).