Brazil's Supreme Court has unsealed documents revealing that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro is under investigation for allegedly receiving 61 million reais ($12 million) from a disgraced banker to fund a movie about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. The unsealed files show that the probe centers on funds provided for a film project titled "The Dark Horse."
The timing of the investigation presents a significant challenge for Senator Bolsonaro, who is currently the primary presidential opponent to incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two are locked in a highly competitive race ahead of the first round of elections scheduled for October 4. Senator Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing, asserting during a campaign event in Manaus that his actions were limited to seeking legitimate private investment for the movie project.
The financial backer at the center of the allegations is Daniel Vorcaro, the former CEO of Banco Master. Vorcaro was arrested in March and stands accused of defrauding many of the bank's 800,000 clients—including several state government pension funds—out of hundreds of millions of dollars through questionable investment schemes. The Central Bank shut down Banco Master in November, an institution that once held assets exceeding $16 billion. Federal police now estimate the total fraud connected to the bank at approximately 12 billion reais ($2.3 billion).
The investigation into Senator Bolsonaro was officially opened in July by Supreme Court Justice André Mendonca at the request of Brazil's federal police. The probe has sparked political tension, with allies of President Lula recently accusing Justice Mendonca, an appointee of former President Jair Bolsonaro, of attempting to shield the senator. Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin ultimately requested the unsealing of the documents in an effort to defuse the internal court crisis and provide transparency regarding the broader Banco Master inquiry.
