Brazil police search Bolsonaro allies in fake news prober

Brazil's Federal Police on Wednesday executed more than two dozen searches and seizure warrants in six states as part of an investigation into a network that allegedly spread defamatory fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices. The judicial orders targeted allies and supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro, and the president's son Carlos Bolsonaro criticized the operations on his official Twitter account, calling the investigation “unconstitutional, political and ideological.” A lawmaker closely allied with Bolsonaro, Carla Zambelli, also denounced the searches.

The Federal Police did not name the subjects of its investigation. The case involves social media posts that allegedly spread libelous claims and threats about Supreme Court justices or jeopardize the court's ability to operate. Bolsonaro's backers have often expressed frustration at court rulings limiting the president's power and denunciations of the justices are common among the small group of pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators who have gathered each weekend in the capital, Brasilia. Bolsonaro himself has joined the demonstrations.

The president has pushed for Brazil's economy to reopen even as the COVID-19 death toll rises and criticized those who have frustrated his wishes. The Supreme Court ruled in April that governors and mayors have jurisdiction to impose restrictions in spite of Bolsonaro's wishes. A video of a Bolsonaro Cabinet meeting from April, made public last week by a Supreme Court justice, showed Education Minister Abraham Weintraub saying he would “throw all those bums in jail, starting with the Supreme Court.” The investigation into fake news is under seal, overseen by the Supreme Court's Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who decided on Tuesday that police should take the testimony of Weintraub as part of the investigation.

The operations on Wednesday were in the Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso, Parana and Santa Catarina states as well as Brazil's Federal District.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)