PF files investigation into alleged US interference in Brazilian elections

The investigation request was sent last Thursday (1) to the director general of the PF, Andrei Rodrigues, and to the attorney general of the Republic, Paulo Gonet.

On Sunday (4), the day of the first round of elections, Andrei Rodrigues stated that the PF was carrying out a preliminary investigation into the case, without formally opening an investigation.

"We received a representation from the AGU suggesting an investigation into external interference. It was forwarded to the Intelligence Directorate to begin the investigation. It is an ongoing investigation, a preliminary procedure. The investigation ordinance has not been published, but we already have an investigation underway," said Andrei.

Information about the archiving was published by the newspaper O Globo and confirmed by GloboNews and TV Globo.

The request was based on an article in the British newspaper The Guardian, published on Wednesday (30), according to which the US State Department had transferred US$1 million to entities and groups involved in mobilizing actions against the country's institutions — especially the Federal Supreme Court (STF) — under the justification of combating alleged judicial excesses and censorship practices.

According to the criminal report presented by the AGU, based on the report, the funds transferred by the US government had as "explicit objective the financing and financial support of civil society entities and groups focused on destabilizing and attacking the institutionality of the Brazilian Judiciary".

The transfers from the US State Department would have been made by the 'Human Rights and Democracy Fund' (HRDF) to the "Countering Lawfare and Censorship in Brazil" program, which was supposed to combat alleged judicial excesses and censorship practices in the country.

At the end of the document, the AGU asked for the facts narrated in the report to be investigated, highlighting the seriousness of the information presented by the British newspaper. The document is signed by the Union's attorney general, Jorge Messias, and three other members of the institution.