Car Wash Case: Brazil's Authorities and FBI Colluded Illegally

The Workers' Party (PT) denounced in the Brazilian Public Prosecutor's Office the illegal cooperation agreement signed between the Car Wash (CW) task force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

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The PT lawyers Eugenio Aragao and Angelo Ferraro pointed out that the CW task force acted illegally as it did not respect the Justice Ministry's authority and promoted a selective criminal process against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Both lawyers delivered a communication of criminal offense against the CW coordinator in Curitiba, the attorney Deltan Dallagnol, who is accused of prevarication, abuse of authority, and criminal condescension.

"Unmasked and demoralized, prosecutors and former judge Sergio Moro will have to face justice," said the PT President Gleisi Hoffmann, who signed the lawsuit against Dallagnol.

 "By unofficially sharing information with FBI agents, the CW task force disrespected national sovereignty and illegally used confidential data from Brazilian companies," Aragao said, assuring that the suspicions against Dallagnol are very serious because they show that the CW task force was acting completely illegally and was out of control.

According to the PT lawyers, the Federal Public Ministry has no constitutional or legal authority to spontaneously and autonomously promote foreign relations. The PT also intends to file a public civil action against the Car Wash attorneys.

Aragao pointed out that Dallagnol was outlaw despite being warned that direct cooperation with FBI agents, without the consent of the central authority of the Executive Branch, was an illegal practice. That was not, however, the first time that the CW task force acted outside the law.

The Federal Supreme Court declared unconstitutional an agreement signed by the CW task force and the Petrobras company for a million-dollar donation destined to the creation of a foundation that would be administered by the Curitiba's lawyers.

Prior to the lawsuit filed by the PT, local outlets The Intercept Brasil and Agencia Publica revealed that the CW task force signed an illegal collaboration agreement with the FBI.

Thanks to this pact, which remained hidden from the Brazilian prosecutors and federal authorities, the FBI agents could access data from the Car Wash Case.