Brazil’s Federal Police probe alleged US election meddling

Brazil's Federal Police have opened a preliminary investigation into possible US interference in the country's politics. The case began with a complaint from the Attorney General's Office, which pointed to a Guardian report that the US State Department had set aside $1 million to fund groups opposed to Brazil's Supreme Court. The probe began as voting got underway on Sunday, Oct. 4, in a first round that sent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro to a runoff on Oct. 25.aa+2

"This is an investigation underway, a preliminary procedure. The inquiry has not yet been formally published, but we already have an investigation in progress," Federal Police Director General Andrei Rodrigues told reporters in Brasília on election day. He said the complaint had gone to the agency's Intelligence Directorate for analysis.aa+1

The $1 million grant

The Guardian reported on Sept. 30 that the State Department had earmarked $1 million for a project called "Countering Lawfare and Censorship in Brazil." The project would support civil society groups opposing what it calls judicial overreach and censorship by the Supreme Court. The money is part of a package of about $175 million from the department's Human Rights and Democracy Fund for projects worldwide.riotimesonline+3

Attorney General Jorge Messias called for the probe on Oct. 1. He said foreign meddling "cannot be tolerated" and called the report "an important alert for Brazilian sovereignty". His office asked the police and federal prosecutors to trace where the money came from, where it went and what it was for. The State Department did not comment on specific grants. It told The Guardian the programs were still under "active deliberation." Brazil's state news agency, Agência Brasil, noted there was no information on whether any money had actually been sent.aljazeera+3

Denials and a calm vote

Reuters reported that the US has rejected claims that it is interfering in Brazil's affairs. NPR reported that the State Department specifically denied Lula's accusation that Washington was trying to meddle in the election. Electoral court chief Kassio Nunes Marques said on Sunday afternoon that voting was running smoothly. Macau Business reported that the court said no foreign interference was identified. Rodrigues also said police found no "concrete element" of risk to any embassy, after the US and Australian embassies briefly suspended consular services on Oct. 2, citing security concerns.aa+3

Runoff ahead

With 99.8% of votes counted, Bolsonaro had just over 56 million votes to Lula's 53.7 million, according to the Associated Press. Lula's campaign had separately asked the electoral court to add the US consular shutdown to an existing investigation into foreign interference. The case comes after a long dispute with Washington: the Trump administration put tariffs on Brazilian goods and sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over the trial of Bolsonaro's father, former President Jair Bolsonaro.riotimesonline+3