Days Before Vote, Brazil Seeks Probe of Reported US Court Funds
Attorney General Jorge Messias said Thursday that foreign political interests trying to meddle in Brazilian institutions, or sway decisions that belong to Brazilian voters, "cannot be tolerated."
The request followed a report by The Guardian that the administration of US President Donald Trump planned to channel money into a campaign against the top court. According to the report, a $1 million US grant went to a "Countering Lawfare and Censorship in Brazil" project backing civil society groups that oppose judicial overreach and censorship by the court.
Messias called the reported initiative "an important alert for Brazilian sovereignty" and said the electoral context made it especially sensitive.
His office asked the Federal Police and federal prosecutors to trace the money's origin, destination and purpose, and to determine whether it could amount to foreign interference in Brazil's political or electoral process. The Guardian said the grant belongs to a broader package of more than $175 million from a US State Department human rights fund for projects worldwide.
The project surfaces amid friction between supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro and the court, particularly Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to overturn the 2022 election result.
Brazil votes Sunday, with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva seeking another term. Flavio Bolsonaro, the former president's son, is among the candidates. The US has not publicly confirmed that the reported funding was meant to interfere in the election.
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