Car Wash Operation meddled in former judge Sergio Moro’s succession

A new story on the #VazaJato series published by The Intercept Brasil this Tuesday (13) revealed that Operation Car Wash task force prosecutors coordinated the succession of Sergio Moro. Along with the Federal Justice of Curitiba (a Southern city in Brazil), they went through suitable candidates – – who they considered aligned with the operation – to replace Moro.

Moro, who was responsible for judging the proceedings related to the Car Wash Operation at the 13th Federal Court, had left his position three days following Jair Bolsonaro’s electoral victory in 2018 to become the new administration’s minister of Justice. The position was then open, having been temporarily filled by judge Gabriela Hardt.

However, the task force only started worrying about who was going to fill the position in January 2019. In messages and audio files leaked from Telegram chats, the prosecutors evaluated their favorite candidates and devised strategies to push back those considered undesirable in the eyes of the Car Wash Operation. The collusion involved the head of the Federal Justice of Parana, who participated in at least one meeting with the prosecutors to address the issue.

The Prosecutor’s Office meddling worked out well. The task force’s favorite judge, Luiz Antônio Bonat, ended up being chosen to replace Sergio Moro at the end of January 2019.

With information from The Intercept Brasil. Read the full story here.