 In 2001, after an internal dispute in the Dutra cabinet, she left the PDT and joined the Workers' Party (PT).In 2002, Rousseff became an energy policy advisor to presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who on winning the election invited her to become his minister of energy.Chief of Staff José Dirceu resigned in 2005 in a political crisis triggered by the Mensalão corruption scandal.