Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, a prominent right-wing candidate in the upcoming Brazilian presidential election, is currently the subject of an investigation into his alleged involvement in a massive financial corruption scandal. Newly unsealed Supreme Court records confirm that Justice Andre Mendonca authorized the probe in July following a formal request from federal police.
The investigation centers on the senator’s potential links to Daniel Vorcaro, the former head of the failed lender Banco Master. Vorcaro, who was arrested in March, is accused of orchestrating a $2.3 billion fraud scheme that impacted approximately 800,000 bank clients. Authorities are examining whether the senator participated in money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption related to these operations.
Evidence gathered from Vorcaro’s mobile device suggests that $12 million was transferred in 2025 to a United States-based fund associated with Eduardo Bolsonaro, the senator’s brother. These funds were allegedly intended to finance the 2026 filmDark Horsea production that highlights the career of the brothers’ father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Investigators are currently working to trace the origin of these funds, identify the companies involved in the transfers, and determine the ultimate beneficiaries.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, a former legislator, has denied any wrongdoing. “They want to frame this as bribe money, which it isn’t,” he stated, dismissing the allegations as a “lie.” He claimed the transfers were a protective measure to shield assets from Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a figure frequently criticized by the Bolsonaro family. De Moraes previously presided over the 2025 case that resulted in a 27-year prison sentence for Jair Bolsonaro for his role in an attempted coup, and he also participated in the proceedings that led to Eduardo’s own conviction for soliciting foreign political interference.
The scandal has intensified as the October 4 general election approaches. Flavio Bolsonaro, who is challenging incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has maintained his innocence, asserting that he was merely seeking private investment for the film project. Both candidates have publicly called for transparency regarding the broader investigation, which has implicated various political figures. “Investigate everything and everyone with transparency,” Flavio Bolsonaro remarked during a campaign event on Friday. President Lula echoed this sentiment in a recent interview, stating, “Investigate everything, disclose everything, regardless of who it hurts.”
The revelation of the probe into the senator followed an order by Chief Justice Edson Fachin to unseal thousands of pages of court records related to the Banco Master case. The Supreme Court is currently navigating internal tensions, as Justice Mendonca—an appointee of the former president—previously released documents suggesting Vorcaro sought advice from Justice de Moraes. De Moraes has accused Mendonca of abusing his position by holding private meetings with the banker without the presence of prosecutors. The court is expected to determine next week whether to launch a formal investigation into de Moraes’s conduct.
While the unsealed documents provide significant insight into the Banco Master case, the full scope of the investigation remains incomplete. Many details, including specific aspects of the probe into Senator Bolsonaro, remain under seal as federal police continue their work. The report also notes that with an estimated 800,000 bank clients among its victims, vorcaro was arrested in March and stands accused of engineering one of the largest fraud scandals in Brazilian history. The report also notes that the fraud, according to federal police, was valued at roughly $2.3bn. The report also notes that police said data extracted from Vorcaro’s cellphone showed that he transferred about $12m to a US-based fund linked to Flavio Bolsonaro’s brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, in 2025. The report also notes that when the publication Intercept Brasil published leaked messages between the two, allegations of ties between Flavio Bolsonaro and Vorcaro emerged in May. The report also notes that with neither candidate receiving an outright majority in pre-election polls, the race is currently expected to head to a run-off.
