The scandals looming over Brazil’s election campaign

Neither candidate is a stranger to legal trouble. Lula, 80, spent over a year and a half in prison between 2018 and 2019 on corruption charges from “Operation Car Wash,” Brazil’s biggest scandal ever, though his conviction was later overturned when the presiding judge was found biased. Bolsonaro, meanwhile, was accused as a Rio legislator of taking kickbacks from his aides’ salaries, a case that was later dropped. Now, police are investigating influence-peddling allegations involving Lula’s eldest son, Fabio Luis, known as “Lulinha.” The Supreme Court has authorized three investigations into whether the 51-year-old businessman used his government contacts to help associates secure contracts. The sealed case has also reportedly drawn in Lula’s former chief of staff. His defense claims he is a victim of “electoral interests,” and Lula says he believes his son — while vowing that if his son is guilty, “he will pay the price.” On the Bolsonaro side, police are probing the financing of “Dark Horse,” an unreleased film starring Jim Caviezel that casts Jair Bolsonaro — Flavio’s father, serving a 27-year sentence for an attempted coup — in a favorable light. The investigation targets Daniel Vorcaro, the imprisoned former owner of collapsed Banco Master, who reportedly contributed nearly $12 million to the film after Flavio asked him for money, per a leaked audio recording. After initially denying any connection, Bolsonaro admitted asking Vorcaro for funds but insisted the two had “no close personal relationship.” The overlapping investigations underscore how heavily Brazil’s political past continues to weigh on its present, as the two candidates head into an election that will test the country’s appetite for a fresh start. (Bssnews)