Probe centers on $24 million allegedly routed to father’s biopic
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has placed Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro under formal investigation for alleged corruption, money laundering and currency evasion involving a biographical film about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, UPI reported Friday. The probe, which the court opened in July, became public when Supreme Federal Court Justice André Mendonça lifted a confidentiality order covering the proceedings.
The case surfaced weeks before Brazil’s Oct. 4 presidential election, in which Flávio Bolsonaro, whom UPI described as a senator from the far-right Liberal Party, has emerged as the main challenger to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Under Brazilian law, being the subject of a preliminary or formal investigation alone is not enough to bar a candidate from running for office; a criminal conviction issued by a court is required. With only a few weeks remaining before the election, UPI reported, it is procedurally impossible for the Supreme Federal Court to hold a trial and issue a conviction before voting takes place.
The investigation into Flávio Bolsonaro stems from a broader case involving the failed Banco Master and what UPI described as one of the largest alleged financial fraud schemes in Brazilian history. The disclosure of previously confidential files involving former banker Daniel Vorcaro revealed contracts and communications intercepted from his cellphone, according to Brazilian outlets g1 and Gazeta do Povo.
According to those outlets and to The Intercept Brasil, the records allegedly show Flávio Bolsonaro acting as an intermediary to channel millions in funding to the production of “Dark Horse,” a film about Jair Bolsonaro’s political career. The Intercept Brasil, which had access to the messages, reported that Flávio Bolsonaro allegedly negotiated the transfer of $24 million, approximately 134 million Brazilian reais, to finance the production. The funds allegedly were deposited into U.S. accounts belonging to people close to the Bolsonaro family, prompting investigators to examine the ultimate destination of the transfers.
After the Federal Police moved the matter from a preliminary inquiry to a formal criminal investigation, Brazilian law provided for the case file to become public to safeguard the right to a defense and ensure transparency in the proceedings, O Globo reported.
Flávio Bolsonaro previously said his financial dealings related to “Dark Horse” were strictly private and categorically denied any wrongdoing. He has not issued new statements since it was revealed that he is officially under investigation by the Federal Police.
On the campaign, the latest Brazilian presidential election polls give Lula a lead of between 3 and 6 percentage points over Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of the first round, UPI reported, though surveys show a statistical tie in a likely runoff. The most recent PoderData poll, conducted from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, showed Lula with 37% support in the first round and Flávio Bolsonaro with 34%, narrowing the gap between them from 6 points to 3 points over the previous three weeks. In a potential runoff, a Nexus/BTG Pactual poll showed the candidates statistically tied, with Lula at 46% and Flávio Bolsonaro at 45%.
Separately from the Supreme Federal Court investigation, President Lula’s campaign on Aug. 31 filed a formal petition with the Superior Electoral Court, known as the TSE, seeking to bar Flávio Bolsonaro from holding elected office for eight years. According to CNN Brazil, the complaint accuses him of using the extensive infrastructure of a private festival for his campaign. If the full TSE votes to uphold the challenge before the election, Flávio Bolsonaro’s candidacy would be invalidated immediately, replicating the legal scenario that barred his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, from holding elected office in 2023.