Flávio Bolsonaro faces a high-stakes judicial investigation tied to the financing of a biographical film about his father, according to documents unsealed by Supreme Tribunal Federal (STF) Justice André Mendonça. Released on Friday, the 25.3 GB cache of records from the Banco Master case reveals that investigators are probing whether funds from the troubled financial institution helped back the movie “Dark Horse.”
STF Releases 25.3 GB of Banco Master Files Implicating Flávio Bolsonaro
The investigation against Flávio Bolsonaro opened quietly in July under Justice André Mendonça and remained under seal until Friday’s document dump. According to the court files, federal authorities are examining approximately half of the 134 million reales (US$26 million) that Flávio Bolsonaro allegedly requested from Daniel Vorcaro, the imprisoned former owner of Banco Master. Police suspect a portion of these funds flowed into United States bank accounts linked to the Bolsonaro family.
Flávio Bolsonaro has forcefully denied any wrongdoing. Speaking on Friday, he maintained that the inquiry is a political maneuver designed to interfere with upcoming elections. “No tengo nada que esconder, la película es totalmente legal,” he said, according to the records. He previously admitted in May to asking Vorcaro for money to support “Dark Horse.” Meanwhile, Daniel Vorcaro remains in preventive detention following arrests in November 2025 and March 2026, as Federal Police expand probes into financial fraud, money laundering, and organized crime.
Supreme Court Discloses Messages Involving Justice Alexandre de Moraes
The newly unsealed documents also entangle Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who previously led the trial that sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro. According to the files, Vorcaro exchanged messages with De Moraes, asking the magistrate to intervene in ongoing investigations and inquiring whether he should leave Brazil. Investigators also found that De Moraes reviewed a million-dollar contract between Banco Master and his wife’s law firm.
These revelations triggered a fierce clash within Brazil’s highest court. Justice De Moraes accused Justice Mendonça of acting out of political motivation by exposing his communications with Vorcaro. The full tribunal is scheduled to vote on Tuesday regarding whether to open a formal investigation against De Moraes. A secondary document release on Sunday further broadened the scope of the “Dark Horse” scandal, suggesting potential financial ties to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) criminal faction and implicating nearly thirty individuals, including leaders of Jair Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party.
Did you know?
Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced on September 11, 2025, by the STF to 27 years and 3 months in prison for leading a criminal conspiracy aimed at blocking President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s 2022 inauguration.
Analysts Weigh Electoral Impact as Datafolha Shows Tight Race
The timing of the judicial disclosures threatens to shake up an already volatile presidential race. A Datafolha poll released Friday gave Lula da Silva 39% of voter intentions in the first round compared to 35% for the bolsonarista candidate, while a potential runoff showed a technical dead heat of 46% to 44%. However, Francesco Tucci, director of the communications and journalism program at the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), notes that the new scandal broke after that poll was conducted. Tucci tells El Comercio that scandals invariably carry media and electoral weight, though Flávio Bolsonaro will likely attempt to reframe the investigation as a politically motivated attack.
Ambassador Juan Álvarez Vita offers a parallel view, stating that judicial pressure can cut both ways. While the allegations could damage electoral prospects, they may also reinforce among core supporters the belief that the family faces systemic persecution. Álvarez Vita points out that this dynamic mirrors public sympathy previously directed at Lula during his own past imprisonment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Banco Master investigation?
The Banco Master inquiry is a sprawling federal probe examining financial fraud, corruption, money laundering, and criminal organization involving former bank owner Daniel Vorcaro.
Why is Flávio Bolsonaro under investigation?
Judicial documents indicate investigators are examining whether approximately half of the 134 million reales requested from Vorcaro to finance the movie “Dark Horse” originated from illicit financial schemes and flowed into U.S. accounts tied to the Bolsonaro family.
How has Flávio Bolsonaro responded to the allegations?
Flávio Bolsonaro denies all irregularities, defending the film project as entirely legal and asserting that the investigation is a politically motivated attempt to interfere with the presidential election.
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