Bolsonaro's invitation to Moro and the promises of autonomy (2018)

Sergio Moro · Jair Bolsonaro

On November 1, 2018, after a 1 hour 42 minute meeting in Rio, Moro accepted becoming Minister of Justice and Public Security, with an anticorruption and anti-organized-crime agenda. In 2020, Moro said he had been promised 'carte blanche' to appoint aides, including at the Federal Police (PF); Bolsonaro said he had agreed to 'autonomy,' with veto power over key posts. In August 2019, asked whether Moro had carte blanche, Bolsonaro said the veto power is his. In the sources read there is no public record of the 2018 conversation, nor a 2018 statement by Bolsonaro with 'carte blanche.'

Status as of October 24, 2026: Divergence of versions with no document to resolve it. Inauguration in early January 2019 (1/1 or 1/2; not confirmed, as the primary gov.br source is inaccessible) and Law 13.964/2019 (December 24, 2019) recorded as context.

Sources (1)

On August 24, 2019, asked whether Moro had carte blanche, Bolsonaro answered that the power of veto is his; Folha de S.Paulo noted that he had changed his tune compared with when he chose Moro.

StatementSingle source

Source: Não tenho problema nenhum com Moro, diz Bolsonaro sobre sua ingerência em ministros (Folhapress) — Bahia Notícias (content from Folha de S.Paulo), Aug. 24, 2019 · first paragraphs · open original ↗

Accusation: Sergio Moro: Moro stated on April 24, 2020 that the president promised carte blanche to appoint aides, and that replacing the director-general without cause would violate the promise.
Sources (1)
Moro stated, on April 24, 2020, that in the conversation of November 1, 2018 the president promised him carte blanche to appoint aides at bodies such as the PF and the PRF, and that replacing the director-general without cause would violate that promise.
AccusationAllegation
Source: Leia a íntegra e assista ao discurso de demissão de Sergio Moro — Poder360, Apr. 24, 2020 · resignation speech, paragraphs on the invitation and on the replacement of the director-general · open original ↗
Response: Jair Bolsonaro: He said he had agreed to autonomy with veto power over key posts and that he gave up choosing the director-general because he trusted Moro. — verbatim quote
Sources (1)
Bolsonaro stated, on April 24, 2020, that he agreed with Moro and with all ministers on autonomy subject to the president's power of veto over key posts, and that he gave up appointing the PF director-general because he trusted Moro.
StatementAllegation
Source: Leia a íntegra do pronunciamento de Bolsonaro depois da saída de Moro — Poder360, Apr. 24, 2020 · address, paragraphs on the meeting in Barra da Tijuca · open original ↗

Quotes

Fui convidado pelo Sr. Presidente eleito para ser nomeado Ministro da Justiça e da Segurança Pública na próxima gestão. Após reunião pessoal na qual foram discutidas políticas para a pasta, aceitei o honrado convite. Fiz com certo pesar pois terei que abandonar 22 anos […]

Portal translation: I was invited by the President-elect to be appointed Minister of Justice and Public Security in the next administration. After a personal meeting in which policies for the portfolio were discussed, I accepted the honorable invitation. I did so with some regret because I […]

Sergio Moro · November 1, 2018 · Note/letter · Statement released by Moro (Curitiba)

Context, original and sources →

O juiz federal Sérgio Moro aceitou nosso convite para o Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública. Sua agenda anti-corrupção, anti-crime organizado, bem como respeito à Constituição e às leis será o nosso norte!

Portal translation: Federal judge Sérgio Moro has accepted our invitation to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. His anti-corruption, anti-organized crime agenda, as well as respect for the Constitution and the laws, will be our guide!

Jair Bolsonaro · November 1, 2018 · Social media post · Twitter (@jairbolsonaro), reproduced by Poder360

Context, original and sources →

Inclusive foi me prometida, na ocasião, carta branca para nomear todos os assessores, inclusive desses órgãos, né, policiais, como a Polícia Rodoviária Federal e a própria Polícia Federal.

Portal translation: In fact, I was promised, at the time, carte blanche to appoint all the advisers, including in these bodies, right, police bodies, such as the Federal Highway Police and the Federal Police itself.

Sergio Moro · April 24, 2020 · Address · Address at the Ministry of Justice, transcribed by Poder360

Context, original and sources →

Acertamos, como fiz com todos os ministros: vai ter autonomia no seu ministério. Autonomia não é sinal de soberania. A todos os ministros, e a ele também, falei do meu poder de veto. Os cargos chaves teriam que passar pelas minhas mãos e eu daria o sinal verde ou não.

Portal translation: We agreed, as I did with all the ministers: he will have autonomy in his ministry. Autonomy is not a sign of sovereignty. To all the ministers, and to him as well, I spoke of my veto power. The key positions would have to pass through my hands and I would give the green […]

Jair Bolsonaro · April 24, 2020 · Address · Address at the Planalto Palace

Context, original and sources →

Olha, carta branca eu tenho poder de veto em qualquer coisa, se não eu não sou presidente. Todos os ministros têm essa ingerência minha e eu fui eleito para mudar. Ponto final

Portal translation: Look, carte blanche, I have veto power over anything, otherwise I'm not president. All the ministers have this interference from me and I was elected to change things. Period

Jair Bolsonaro · August 24, 2019 · Press conference · Remarks on leaving the Alvorada Palace, reproduced by Folha de S.Paulo (via Bahia Notícias)

Context, original and sources →

Agora, certamente, jamais concorreria contra o presidente Jair Bolsonaro, se ele for realmente candidato à reeleição.

Portal translation: Now, certainly, I would never run against President Jair Bolsonaro, if he is really a candidate for reelection.

Sergio Moro · October 16, 2019 · Interview · Poder em Foco (SBT/Poder360), interview with Fernando Rodrigues

Context, original and sources →

Evidence

On November 1, 2018, after a meeting of 1 hour and 42 minutes in Rio de Janeiro with President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, Sergio Moro released a statement saying he had accepted the invitation to be Minister of Justice and Public Security.

StatementSingle source

Excerpt: “aceitei o honrado convite”

Source: Sérgio Moro aceita convite e será ministro da Justiça de Jair Bolsonaro (leia a nota) — Poder360, Nov. 1, 2018 · text of the article and transcribed statement · open original ↗

News report · full text examined · accessed on Oct. 24, 2026

Limitations: The statement was read in one outlet's transcription; Moro's original statement was not located in a primary source.

Bolsonaro posted on Twitter, on November 1, 2018, that Moro had accepted the invitation and that his anti-corruption and anti-organized-crime agenda would be the guiding line of the government.

StatementSingle source

Excerpt: “Sua agenda anti-corrupção, anti-crime organizado, bem como respeito à Constituição e às leis será o nosso norte!”

Source: Sérgio Moro aceita convite e será ministro da Justiça de Jair Bolsonaro (leia a nota) — Poder360, Nov. 1, 2018 · tweet embedded in the article · open original ↗

News report · full text examined · accessed on Oct. 24, 2026

Limitations: Tweet read via the outlet's reproduction; original profile not consulted.

Poder360 wrote on November 1, 2018, in its own text and not as a quotation, that the president-elect gave Moro 'carte blanche' to run the ministry. Moro's statement does not use the expression.

News reportSingle source

Source: Sérgio Moro aceita convite e será ministro da Justiça de Jair Bolsonaro (leia a nota) — Poder360, Nov. 1, 2018 · paragraph after the statement · open original ↗

News report · full text examined · accessed on Oct. 24, 2026

Limitations: In the sources read, we did not locate a 2018 statement by Bolsonaro with 'carte blanche'. The lead cited in searches (Folha, cited by Bahia Notícias in 2019) says he said it when he chose Moro, without the date or the text.

On August 24, 2019, asked whether Moro had carte blanche, Bolsonaro answered that the power of veto is his; Folha de S.Paulo noted that he had changed his tune compared with when he chose Moro.

StatementSingle source

Excerpt: “carta branca eu tenho poder de veto em qualquer coisa, se não eu não sou presidente”

News report · full text examined · accessed on Oct. 24, 2026

Limitations: Folha article reproduced by another outlet; the original Folha article was not read.

Law No. 13.964, of December 24, 2019, improved criminal and criminal procedure legislation; it is the law that resulted from Minister Moro's 'anticrime' bill, processed in Congress in 2019.

Official documentProven in a document

Source: Lei nº 13.964, de 24 de dezembro de 2019 (aperfeiçoa a legislação penal e processual penal) — Office of the President of the Republic — Planalto, Dec. 24, 2019 · summary and art. 1 · open original ↗

Law/regulation (primary) · excerpt examined · accessed on Oct. 24, 2026

Limitations: The law was read only in its heading. The relationship between the law and Moro's bill (and which of its points were vetoed or changed) is known from news reports seen in searches but not read; Moro himself said, on April 24, 2020, that the bill 'was not approved in its entirety'.

Identifier: ep:convite-bolsonaro-moro-2018