Temer's low approval ratings are unlikely to improve following the incident. Officials are expected to tie more allegations to Temer's conduct in the following weeks.
Rodrigo Janot, a senior prosecutor, brought the accusations to Brazil's Supreme Court. In the Brazilian legal system, the lower chamber of the country's legislator has to vote on whether a tribunal will be held to bring the charges against Temer.
Temer may have sufficient political clout to stunt lawmakers' attempts to reach the 66-percent majority required to sanction the trial.
The document delivered to the court states, "from March to April, 2017, with a free and conscious will, the President of the Republic Michel Miguel Temer Lulia, taking advantage of his position as head of the Executive Power and national political leadership, received for himself… an undue advantage of 500,000 Brazilian reals," according to Brazilian media reports.
In addition to this "actual receipt" the complaint alleges that Temer "accepted the promise" to receive 38 million reals.
Temer's approval rating sat at just seven percent as of June 24, the lowest mark measured in 28 years, Folha de Sao Paula reported.
