Flávio Bolsonaro, Queiroz, and the Rio Federal Police: what Moro alleged and what he did not

Sergio Moro · Jair Bolsonaro · Flávio Bolsonaro · Fabrício Queiroz · Paulo Marinho

In the address of April 24, 2020 and in the testimony of May 2, 2020, Moro did not mention Flávio Bolsonaro or the 'rachadinha'; in the testimony he said he knew of no connection between the replacements requested and operations against the president's circle. In June 2020, a filing by Moro's defense pointed to a coincidence of dates between the first wish to replace the Rio PF (August 2019) and the Queiroz defense's request for access to a confidential Rio de Janeiro Federal Police inquiry, and cited Paulo Marinho's account. In an interview with Flow Podcast (date not located), Moro reportedly said Bolsonaro reacted with irritation to Toffoli's decision on Coaf, which benefited Flávio. The 'rachadinha' investigation in Flávio's office at the Rio legislature (Alerj) is by the Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office (state-level); in the sources read, there is no document linking Inq 4831 to that investigation.

Status as of October 24, 2026: No court decision on the hypothesis linking the Rio Federal Police (PF) to the investigation of Flávio. The Office of the Prosecutor General (PGR) and the Supreme Federal Court (STF) indicated in 2025 that they want to verify 'interference in investigations involving himself, his relatives, and allies,' without naming a specific case (STF, October 16, 2025). Inquiry into the alleged Furna da Onça leak: outcome not read. According to Revista Fórum (October 21, 2026), Flávio was indicted in 2020 and the rachadinha case was closed after the annulment of evidence, without a ruling on the merits (not checked in a judicial source). Inq 4831 open according to the latest news located (April 12, 2026).

Sources (1)

On October 16, 2025 the STF reported that Moraes granted a PGR request and reopened the investigations in Inq 4831; the PGR, which in September 2022 had asked for closure, said on October 15, 2025 that the case file indicates the need for complementary measures.

Judicial or administrative decisionProven in a document

Source: A pedido da PGR, STF reabre investigações sobre suposta interferência de Jair Bolsonaro na PF — Supreme Federal Court (news portal), Oct. 16, 2025 · text of the news item · open original ↗

Accusation: Sergio Moro: Moro's defense argued, in a filing, that the wish to replace the Rio superintendency coincided with the Queiroz defense's request for access to a confidential Rio de Janeiro Federal Police inquiry, which would indirectly mention Flávio.
Sources (1)
Moro's defense stated, in a petition attached to the inquiry by Federal Police chief investigator Christiane Correa Machado, that Bolsonaro's first wish to replace the Rio superintendent occurred in August 2019, the same month in which Fabrício Queiroz's defense requested access to a confidential PF inquiry in Rio that would mention Queiroz and, indirectly, Flávio Bolsonaro.
AccusationAllegation
Source: Moro relaciona troca na PF do RJ a pedido de Queiroz para acesso à investigação — Congresso em Foco, June 23, 2020 · paragraphs 1 to 4 and 10 · open original ↗
Paulo Marinho: Marinho, Flávio's alternate senator, told Folha that a Federal Police (PF) chief investigator warned Flávio of an operation that would hit Queiroz.
Sources (1)
Businessman Paulo Marinho, Flávio's alternate in the Senate, told Folha that Flávio was warned by a PF chief investigator that an operation would hit Fabrício Queiroz; the PF opened an inquiry into the alleged leak in 2020. Moro's defense cited this account in its petition.
AccusationDisputed
Source: Chefe de gabinete de Flávio Bolsonaro nega vazamento de operação — Poder360, Aug. 4, 2020 · paragraphs 2, 5, and 6 · open original ↗
Sergio Moro: According to Revista Fórum (October 21, 2026), in an interview with Flow Podcast (date not located; video not seen), Moro reportedly said that Bolsonaro began weakening anticorruption mechanisms out of fear of investigations into relatives. Sole source; the article carries no response from Bolsonaro or Flávio.
Sources (1)
According to Revista Fórum (October 21, 2026), in an interview with Flow Podcast (date not given) Moro said that Bolsonaro reacted with irritation to Dias Toffoli's decision (July 2019, at the request of Flávio's defense) on Coaf data (Moro's account reproduced by Fórum, without quotation marks here) and that he associated the move of Coaf to another ministry with Bolsonaro's concern about investigations of family members.
AccusationSingle source
Source: Moro acusou Bolsonaro de tentar barrar investigação contra Flávio? Entenda o caso — Revista Fórum, Oct. 21, 2026 · paragraphs 1 to 7 · open original ↗
Response: Jair Bolsonaro: Said on April 24, 2020 that he had never asked for a relative to be shielded. — verbatim quote
Sources (1)
On the same day, in an address of about 46 minutes, Bolsonaro denied having interfered in the PF, stated that it is his prerogative to dismiss the director-general, said Valeixo agreed to leave at his own request, and that Moro had conditioned the change on a nomination to the STF.
StatementAllegation
Source: Leia a íntegra do pronunciamento de Bolsonaro depois da saída de Moro — Poder360, Apr. 24, 2020 · full address · open original ↗
Flávio Bolsonaro: Categorically denied Marinho's account. — verbatim quote
Sources (1)
In a statement, Flávio Bolsonaro's defense categorically denied Paulo Marinho's account and called it an attempt to manipulate the courts in his own interest; Flávio's chief of staff denied, in testimony of June 10, 2020, having received information about Operation Furna da Onça.
Response/defenseSingle source
Source: Chefe de gabinete de Flávio Bolsonaro nega vazamento de operação — Poder360, Aug. 4, 2020 · paragraphs 1 and 6 · open original ↗

Quotes

as afirmações de Paulo Marinho têm objetivo simples: manipular a Justiça em interesse próprio. […] E o senador nega, categoricamente, o que foi dito por Marinho

Portal translation: Paulo Marinho's statements have a simple purpose: to manipulate the courts in his own interest. […] And the senator categorically denies what was said by Marinho

Flávio Bolsonaro · May 2020 · Note/letter · Note from Flávio Bolsonaro's defense, quoted by Poder360 on August 4, 2020

Context, original and sources →

Nunca pedi para blindar ninguém da minha família. Jamais faria isso.

Portal translation: I never asked to shield anyone in my family. I would never do that.

Jair Bolsonaro · April 24, 2020 · Address · Address at the Planalto Palace, transcribed by Poder360

Context, original and sources →

Evidence

In his testimony to the PF on May 2, 2020, according to the report, Moro was asked whether he saw a connection between the changes requested by Bolsonaro and operations against people close to the president and answered that he was unaware of any connection and had no access to ongoing investigations.

Document described in a news reportSingle source

Source: 'Você tem 27 superintendências, eu quero apenas uma, a do RJ': confira depoimento de Moro à PF — Tribuna de Jundiaí, May 5, 2020 · section 'The president's circle' · open original ↗