Brazil's Bolsonaro sets terms for records release after Lula's disclosure challenge


Brazilian presidential candidates Flavio Bolsonaro and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attend a presidential debate, ahead of the runoff presidential election, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 18, 2026. REUTERS/Jean Carniel

BRASILIA, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Brazilian presidential ⁠candidate Senator Flavio Bolsonaro imposed conditions on Wednesday to disclose his bank, tax ⁠and telephone records after a challenge from President Luiz Inacio Lula da ‌Silva, his opponent in Sunday's election runoff.

The challenge has become a new battlefront in what polls portray as a strongly contested election, with the candidates seeking to convince voters of their transparency and integrity, and their ​rival's lack of it, in the last days of ⁠the campaign.

Lula's campaign submitted on Tuesday ⁠to Brazil's electoral court a document authorizing the release of personal data including his own ⁠bank, ‌tax and telephone records, as well as those of his family members, if Flavio followed suit.

The challenge included legal entities in which the candidates are ⁠partners or directors.

In a response to the court, Bolsonaro's campaign ​authorized the release of the ‌data requested by Lula, but only if the president expands his own pledges ⁠to include ​advisors, security staff and records from companies held by Lula's children.

Camilo Santana, a senator and representative of Lula's campaign, told journalists that Lula agreed with the new demands, and that the campaign ⁠would file an official response with the court on ​Thursday morning.

Bolsonaro, who narrowly leads Lula in polls, is under investigation over alleged corruption and money laundering related to an investment he allegedly sought from a banker, who is jailed and ⁠accused of fraud, to help finance a film about his father, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.

The senator has acknowledged seeking funding but denies any wrongdoing. He is also under investigation in a separate probe over alleged money laundering.

Brazil's Supreme Court has authorized an investigation into Fabio ​Luis Lula da Silva, one of Lula's sons, over alleged ⁠influence peddling and corruption tied to Health Ministry dealings, as well as a separate pension-fraud ​probe.

Lula's son denies the allegations and the president has ‌said his son would be treated like ​any other citizen.

(Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello and Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia; additional reporting and writing by Andre Romani in Sao Paulo; Editing by Aurora Ellis)

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