TSE Suspends Lula Campaign Advertisement Targeting Flávio Bolsonaro

Minister Estela Aranha of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) issued a preliminary injunction on Sunday to suspend an electoral advertisement from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's re-election campaign. The advertisement, titled "Know Flávio Bolsonaro's Resume," listed several accusations against the PL candidate and his principal rival for the presidency. The court order requires television stations to stop airing the piece until the full plenary of the TSE can review the decision.

The advertisement described Flávio Bolsonaro as a "ghost employee" and claimed he was denounced for money laundering and leading a criminal organization in the "rachadinha" scandal. It also mentioned a request for 134 million reais from Banco Master to fund a biography of former President Jair Bolsonaro titled "Dark Horse," and referenced a relationship with Adriano da Nóbrega. Minister Aranha ruled that the content extrapolated the limits of admissible political criticism by constructing a narrative of criminal involvement without sufficient concrete data or current legal standing.

Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign argued that the claims were baseless or outdated. They stated that he never responded to procedures regarding the ghost employee allegation and that the "rachadinha" charges were archived by the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice after the Supreme Federal Court and the Superior Court of Justice annulled the evidence in 2021. Regarding the Banco Master case, the defense argued that the term "caught in the act" was technically incorrect as it involved the disclosure of private commercial conversations rather than a crime in progress.

Outlets with a center-left lean focused on the specific legal history of the cases, noting that the "rachadinha" investigations were closed and providing details on the Intercept report regarding the Banco Master funds. Outlets with a center-right lean emphasized the court's finding that the advertisement was misleading and highlighted the defense's claim that the accusations were descontextualized. Center-leaning coverage provided a balanced account of both the minister's legal reasoning and the specific rebuttals provided by the Bolsonaro campaign.