Police conclude Car Wash whistleblowers were not paid

Deltan Dallagnol, Operation Car Wash's lead prosecutor. Photo: Salty View/Shutterstock

In 2019, hackers collected an extensive exchange of messages via Telegram between Operation Car Wash prosecutors and then-Judge Sergio Moro, who oversaw cases under the task force’s scope.

The content of the messages were published by The Intercept and other media partners, showing that Mr. Moro did not act as a neutral umpire during the operation, but rather assisted the prosecution on multiple occasions.

At the time, supporters of the operation suggested that the hackers who broke into the prosecutors’ Telegram accounts were paid and encouraged by third parties in an alleged political hit job. Now, the Federal Police has concluded that there is no evidence of outside involvement.

Former President Luiz Inácio da Lula da Silva used the revelations o get his corruption and money-laundering convictions overturned. In March 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Moro was biased in his prosecution of Lula.

Amanda Audi

Amanda Audi is a journalist specializing in politics and human rights. She is the former executive director of Congresso em Foco and worked as a reporter for The Intercept Brasil, Folha de S. Paulo, O Globo, Gazeta do Povo, Poder360, among others. In 2019, she won the Comunique-se Award for best-written media reporter and won the Mulher Imprensa award for web journalism in 2020