SAO PAULO (AP) 鈥� Brazilian Sen. Fl谩vio Bolsonaro denied any wrongdoing Wednesday in his reported request for millions from jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro, a revelation that could harm the lawmaker鈥檚 expected run for the country鈥檚 presidency in October against Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva.
Earlier, of Bolsonaro asking Vorcaro, who is at the center of a major corruption scandal, for 61 million reais ($12 million) to produce 鈥淭he Dark Horse,鈥� a movie Bolsonaro says he is making that focuses on the life of his father, jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Vorcaro, the former CEO of the shuttered Banco Master, is the center of a fraud and graft scandal that has engulfed several high-ranking officials in Brazil since the beginning of the year. Vorcaro is accused, among other things, of defrauding Banco Master clients out of millions of dollars by convincing them to make shady investments. The case remains under investigation by the country鈥檚 federal police and Supreme Court.
Bolsonaro, however, defended his request.
鈥淥ur case is of a son seeking PRIVATE sponsorship for a PRIVATE film about his father鈥檚 story. No public money,鈥� Fl谩vio Bolsonaro said in a statement. 鈥淚 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.鈥�
But political consultant Thomas Traumann said the revelations could negatively impact Bolsonaro鈥檚 campaign shortly before his Liberal Party holds its convention to put him on the ballot.
鈥淎s Fl谩vio Bolsonaro is an unknown politician whose biggest asset is being son of the former president, a scandal like this could have a devastating impact,鈥� Traumann said. 鈥�(Fl谩vio Bolsonaro鈥檚) asking for money and showing intimacy with a banker who is under police investigation for fraud could force Brazil鈥檚 opposition of changing its candidate to keep its chances.鈥�
Fl谩vio Bolsonaro鈥檚 messages to Vorcaro were sent in October, The Intercept Brazil reported .The banker was arrested in March and has since tried to strike a plea bargain deal with authorities.
Brazil鈥檚 Central Bank shut down Banco Master, whose assets topped $16 billion, in November.
Since the scandal broke, Fl谩vio Bolsonaro and his allies have alleged without evidence that it should be pinned on Lula; Brazil鈥檚 federal police have not linked Vorcaro to the current administration. Earlier this week, a former chief-of-staff for Jair Bolsonaro, Sen. Ciro Nogueira, denied media reports that said he received regular payments from Vorcaro to support him.
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