Bolsonaro and Son Spread Fake News About Jean Wyllys and David Miranda

By Arkady Petrov

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro and his son, Deputy Flávio Bolsonaro, once again hinted that former federal Deputy Jean Wyllys had given up his term for money so that David Miranda could take the seat in the Federal Chamber.

The rumor gathered momentum last Sunday, June 16th, after being shared on social networks through a profile named Pavão Misterioso (“Mysterious Peacock”), which was generated and deleted on the same day. However, there is no evidence of accuracy in the information, and those involved deny the suspicions.

Miranda is married to Glenn Greenwald, one of the authors of the reports published by The Intercept Brasil, which show messages exchanged between then federal judge Moro and the Lava Jato task force.

Miranda was the PSOL party’s first alternate deputy and took office after Wyllys resigned from office over death threats based on his political militancy.

Yesterday, in an interview held in São Paulo, Bolsonaro talked about the rumor being circulated on social networks when asked about the permanence of Moro in office, amid leaks. The president even named Wyllys, who is openly gay, as a “girl”.

“I saw nothing unusual [in the exchanges of messages between Moro and prosecutors]. That couple [Greenwald and Miranda], one of them is suspected of selling his mandate, and the other, the girl [referring to Jean Wyllys], is out of Brazil. You may look for another target. This one’s gone. They attack in an attempt to hurt me. You can look for another target. Sergio Moro is among our assets,” he said.

Yesterday, in a hearing at the CCJ (Committee on Constitution and Justice) of the Senate, which Moro attended to comment on the leaked messages, the minister heard the fake news being reproduced once again, this time by Flávio, the president’s eldest son. The legislator reproduced a portion of the fake news published by the “Mysterious Peacock”.

“Glenn Greenwald could have paid a Russian hacker to invade Brazilian authorities’ cell phones. These transactions may have been carried out in bitcoins, a currency that is encrypted and leaves no trace, in Panama,” Flávio said.

“According to denunciations, these funds were turned into a currency called Ethereum, which also leaves no trace, and then sent to a broker in Russia. There, the money was converted into rubles. That’s what the denunciation says, I’m not saying that it’s true,” he stated with no mention of the rumor’s source.

The president’s son continued: “Greenwald and his partner, who is a federal deputy, David Miranda, allegedly bought the seat of then federal deputy Jean Wyllys for US$700,000 (R$2.8 million),” he claimed.

The Presidency said it would not comment on the matter. Sought by the UOL site, Flávio’s press office has also not made any statement over the claims.

Source: UOL