Flávio Bolsonaro investigated for corruption and money laundering in financing of film about his father
The Federal Police are investigating senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro on suspicion of corruption and money laundering linked to the film "Dark Horse".
Federal Police investigate Flávio Bolsonaro over suspicions linked to financing of film "Dark Horse"
The presidential campaign of senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) was shaken on Friday (11) by the revelation that the Federal Police are investigating him on suspicion of corruption and money laundering, according to afp.com.
The minister of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) André Mendonça authorised the investigation following a request from the Federal Police, which points to possible crimes "in the context of financing for the production" of the film "Dark Horse" — a biographical film about former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), currently imprisoned.
What Flávio Bolsonaro says
Following a campaign event in Manaus, the senator rejected the suspicions. "I have nothing to hide, the film is completely legal," he stated, defending what he characterised as "private sponsorship" of the production.
Flávio had admitted in May to having requested million-dollar bank transfers for the film from banker Daniel Vorcaro, who is detained in connection with a major financial fraud scheme. In an initial reaction, the senator denied any link with Vorcaro; later, he admitted the request for financing, but denied irregularities.
The role of banker Vorcaro
According to judicial documents obtained by AFP, the investigation indicates that Flávio Bolsonaro met with Vorcaro and that both conversed several times about financing the work. The documents also highlight an international transaction of 12.3 million dollars between a company indirectly linked to Vorcaro and another associated with a lawyer for Eduardo Bolsonaro — son of the former president who resides in the United States and was convicted of coercion in the trial of his father.
The Federal Police are investigating whether Vorcaro's money was, in fact, channelled to finance Eduardo Bolsonaro, a source from the Supreme Court explained to AFP.
Vorcaro was owner of Banco Master, an entity liquidated by the Central Bank with debts exceeding 40 billion reais, affecting around 800,000 investors in one of the largest financial scandals in Brazilian history.
The film and its cost
"Dark Horse", not yet released, stars American actor Jim Caviezel in the role of Jair Bolsonaro and portrays him, according to available trailers, as someone who "fought against the system". According to Brazilian press, the production budget exceeds the combined budget of "I'm Still Here" and "The Secret Agent", two Brazilian films recently nominated for the Oscar.
In May, the website Intercept Brasil released audio messages from Flávio Bolsonaro to Vorcaro requesting money to finance the biographical film.
Crisis in the STF amplifies the case
The revelation of the investigation comes amid a full institutional crisis in the STF. Minister Mendonça — former Justice Minister of Jair Bolsonaro — had requested an investigation into messages from Vorcaro sent to a number attributed to his colleague Alexandre de Moraes, the minister who presided over the trial that led to the former president's imprisonment in 2025.
Mendonça's decision triggered a series of hostile actions among the STF ministers, including the removal and subsequent reinstatement of the Federal Police director-general, Andrei Rodrigues.
To contain the crisis, the president of the STF, Edson Fachin, ordered that Mendonça revoke the procedural secrecy of the Master case. It was this decision that exposed, on Friday, the ongoing investigation against Flávio Bolsonaro.
Impact on the presidential race
Flávio Bolsonaro is tied in the polls for a probable second round in October against the president and re-election candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). The investigation does not legally prevent him from maintaining his candidacy — in Brazil, a police inquiry does not constitute an impediment to running for elections.
The case is equally sensitive for Lula's campaign, as he admitted to having met with Vorcaro once before the Banco Master scandal became public. The president had already demanded that judicial secrecy around the case be lifted. A government source, on condition of anonymity, admitted to AFP that the crisis in the STF placed Lula's campaign on the "defensive".
Lula was imprisoned between 2018 and 2019 in corruption cases that were later annulled by judicial decisions that recognised procedural flaws and bias on the part of the judge responsible.
Less than a month before the presidential elections, the financial scandal surrounding Vorcaro — and its ramifications in the two main political camps in Brazil — dominates the campaign.
Source: RTP