SAO PAULO — A Brazilian senator running for president has dismissed accusations of impropriety following reports that he sought millions in funding from an incarcerated banker at the heart of a corruption investigation, a development that may damage his anticipated October campaign against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The Intercept Brazil released audio recordings on Wednesday showing Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro requesting 61 million reais ($12 million) from Daniel Vorcaro for financing “The Dark Horse,” a film project about his imprisoned father, former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Vorcaro previously led the now-closed Banco Master and faces allegations in a widespread fraud investigation that has implicated numerous high-level Brazilian officials this year. Authorities accuse him of swindling bank customers out of millions through fraudulent investment schemes. Federal police and the Supreme Court continue investigating the matter.
The senator stood by his actions in response to the revelations.
“Our case is of a son seeking PRIVATE sponsorship for a PRIVATE film about his father’s story. No public money,” Flávio Bolsonaro said in a statement. “I did not offer any (illegal) advantages in exchange. I did not have private encounters. I did not intermediate business with the government. I did not receive money.”
Political analyst Thomas Traumann warned the disclosure could damage Bolsonaro’s campaign as his Liberal Party prepares for its nominating convention.
“As Flávio Bolsonaro is an unknown politician whose biggest asset is being son of the former president, a scandal like this could have a devastating impact,” Traumann said. “(Flávio Bolsonaro’s) asking for money and showing intimacy with a banker who is under police investigation for fraud could force Brazil’s opposition of changing its candidate to keep its chances.”
According to The Intercept Brazil’s report, Bolsonaro contacted Vorcaro in October. The banker was taken into custody in March and has attempted to negotiate a cooperation agreement with prosecutors.
Brazilian banking regulators closed Banco Master, which held assets exceeding $16 billion, in November.
Following the scandal’s emergence, Flávio Bolsonaro and his supporters have claimed without proof that Lula should be blamed for the situation; federal investigators have found no connections between Vorcaro and the current government. This week, Sen. Ciro Nogueira, a former chief-of-staff for Jair Bolsonaro, disputed news reports claiming he regularly received payments from Vorcaro for his support.
