Brazil's top court bans corporate campaign contributions amid scandal involving such funding

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazil's Supreme Court has banned corporate contributions to political campaigns and parties.

The court ruled 8-3 Thursday night to block such financing.

However, Brazil's Congress passed a different measure last week allowing corporate financing. That legislation faces a likely veto from President Dilma Rousseff. If the veto were overturned by Congress, the matter would again go before the top court.

The issue has come to the forefront as Brazil faces what prosecutors call the biggest corruption case in its history. It in part involves big construction and engineering firms allegedly making huge campaign contributions in return for winning lucrative contracts with state-run oil firm Petrobras.

In Brazil's recent presidential election, well over 90 percent of funding for the campaigns of the final two candidates came from corporations.