Brazilian Presidential Candidate Flavio Bolsonaro Under Investigation for Corruption

Flavio Bolsonaro, a senator and leading candidate in the upcoming Brazilian presidential election, is the target of a federal police investigation into corruption and money laundering. According to judicial documents made public on Friday, the probe focuses on the financing of Dark Horse, a biopic about his father and former president Jair Bolsonaro. The investigation, which was authorized by a Supreme Court judge in July, comes less than a month before the October 4 election.

Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, admitted in May that he sought funding from banker Daniel Vorcaro. Vorcaro is currently incarcerated for his role in a massive financial fraud involving Master Bank, estimated at 12 billion reais. While the senator maintains that the film is legal and he has nothing to hide, reports indicate that 49 search warrants were recently executed. Some reports suggest the scandal may involve Central Bank officials, politicians, and members of the Supreme Court, potentially triggering an institutional crisis.

The biopic Dark Horse features actor Jim Caviezel and presents a positive portrayal of Jair Bolsonaro. The former president is currently serving a sentence of over 27 years for attempting a coup to overturn his 2022 election loss to the current president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Flavio Bolsonaro is running against Lula in what polls describe as a close race.