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The defense acknowledged Avendaño did receive 200 million pesos (US$ 107,000) from the government, but his lawyer Pablo Salha said this was a loan to finance his 2006 campaign and not a returned favor from the Uribe administration.According to his lawyer, Avendaño is the victim of a smear campaign against the national government and the legitimacy of President Uribe.Avendaño is investigated for bribery, after he didn’t show up for the constitutional vote he had always opposed. Former congresswoman Yidis Medina, who openly admitted she was offered a bribe to change her vote, accused her collegue of being bribed too. Both are in jail.
