Bolsonaro Denies Illegal Use Of Social Media

Candidate says he has no say in the actions of businessmen sympathetic to him; opposition talks about slush funds and electoral fraud

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São Paulo

Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) said he has no control over the purchase of Whatsapp message blasts by companies that intend on spreading anti-PT content.

Folha revealed the illegal practice on Thursday (18) and caused PT to file a complaint in the Electoral High Court.

The injunction requests Bolsonaro's ineligibility due to abuse of economic power. "I have no control if there's a businessman sympathetic to me doing it. I know it's against the law, but I have no way of knowing and doing something about it," the candidate said to the news site Antagonista.

Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) during a debate at Correio Braziliense newspaper, in June - Folhapress

Fernando Haddad (PT) asked for the arrest of whoever is funding the WhatsApp blasts. To Gleidi Hoffman, PT president, "this shows that the pro-Bolsonaro wave is not about the people agreeing to his cause, but a factory of lies."

Cited as one of the blast purchases backers, Luciano Hang, owner of the department store chain Havan, once again denied being involved, criticized Folha and promised to sue the newspaper.
Justice Rosa Weber, president of the Electoral High Court (TSE), will release a statement on Friday (19th).

Translated by NATASHA MADOV

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