Delúbio Soares de Castro (Buriti Alegre, November 6, 1955) is a Brazilian trade unionist who has had a long professional association with the Brazilian Workers Party (PT). He is particularly noted for his involvement in the mensalão scandal. Background A native of Goiás, Soares graduated with a degree in mathematics from the Catholic University of Goias. He is married to Monica Valente. Career Soares has been active in Brazilian politics since the 1970s, when he worked for the Amnesty Movement in Goiânia (GO). During this period, he began to teach mathematics in public schools in Goiás and to participate in the coordination of teacher's strikes. He helped found the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), at which he held the posts of Secretary of Trade Union Policy and Secretary of Finance, and the Trade Union of Education Workers of Goiás. He was also a coordinator of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's presidential campaigns in 1989 and 1998. He was a member of the National Directorate of the PT, held the position of Trade Union Secretary from 1995 to 2000, and became the treasurer of the PT. For many years, Soares was also part of the political group known as the Majoritarian Camp, which later changed its name to Building a New Brazil. Mensalão scandal On June 6, 2005, Brazilian deputy Roberto Jefferson told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper that the PT had paid some deputies 30,000 reais (then around US$12,000) per month apiece to vote for certain legislation favored by the party. This led to the so-called Mensalão scandal, “mensalão” being a neologism referring to large monthly payments. After being identified as a key figure in the scandal, Soares was expelled from PT, a decision that was approved by a majority of votes in the National Directory. Soares was one of forty persons who were denounced to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) on March 30, 2006, by Attorney General Antonio Fernando de Souza for having been involved in the distribution of the secret payments. Souza described the group as a criminal organization and named José Dirceu, José Genoino, Silvio Pereira, and Delúbio as its leaders. Delúbio played a crucial role in the Mensalão scandal, causing a significant crisis for the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration and nearly cost him his reelection. Of all the persons involved in the Mensalão scandal, Soares was the only one to be expelled from the