Chronological coverage updated 11th September 2026 17:21.
Update 1 · 11th September 2026
Unsealed Corruption Probe into Flavio Bolsonaro Shakes Brazilian Presidential Race
Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro's campaign has been rocked weeks before the national vote following the unsealing of Supreme Court records showing he is under investigation for alleged corruption, illicit foreign exchange, and money laundering. The probe into the senator, who is the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, centres on financial support sought from failed lender Banco Master for a film about his father.
The investigation was initiated in July by Supreme Court Justice Andre Mendonca at the request of federal police as part of a broader inquiry into Banco Master. Proceedings were unsealed after Chief Justice Edson Fachin ordered records related to the bank case made public, leading Mendonca to release thousands of pages of court documents.
Police requested the probe to determine whether Senator Bolsonaro engaged in illicit transactions by citing donations made by Daniel Vorcaro, the owner of Banco Master who was arrested in March. The senator had acknowledged asking Vorcaro for financial backing to support "Dark Horse", a movie depicting Jair Bolsonaro starring US actor Jim Caviezel, while insisting that the financing was legitimate.
France24 reportedly quoted Flavio Bolsonaro (Brazilian senator and presidential candidate) as saying: “completely legal”.
The unsealed documents have intensified a severe institutional crisis at Brazil's Supreme Court. A public conflict erupted between Justice Mendonca and Justice Alexandre de Moraes after police messages suggested Vorcaro had communicated with Moraes, leading to calls for an investigation into Moraes and counter-accusations of authority abuse.
Political Fallout and Public Response
The investigation emerges during an unusually tight presidential race, with opinion polls placing Flavio Bolsonaro and sitting President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a statistical tie for a simulated second-round runoff. President Lula supported the unsealing of the records prior to the chief justice's order, calling for full transparency across political and judicial institutions.
France24 reportedly quoted Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (President of Brazil) as saying: “Investigate everything, disclose everything, regardless of who it hurts.”.
- Flavio Bolsonaro faces federal police scrutiny over money laundering and corruption allegations linked to Banco Master.
- The investigation revolves around private financing solicited for a biographical film about Jair Bolsonaro.
- Unsealing the case files has deepened an unprecedented internal conflict among justices on Brazil's Supreme Court.
