by ICL Noticias
Brazilian presidential candidate Senator Flávio Bolsonaro paid $120,000 to a company that attempted to sell a covert artificial intelligence system in the United States designed to manipulate elections.
The technology that was offered included the creation of fake accounts, the dissemination of disinformation, infiltration to discredit opponents, and “psychological warfare techniques.”
Flávio Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party also admitted to paying $26,000 to the same company.
Presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro greets supporters during a rally in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on October 14, 2026. (Photo by SILVIO AVILA / AFP via Getty Images)
According to documents obtained by The Intercept Brasil, the Brazilian cybersecurity firm, Elytron, presented a proposal for a covert political influence operation based on massive data collection and the identification of voter groups.
By targeting accounts, the system would allow for actions to influence public opinion, spread rumors, and damage the reputations of political opponents.
It is these actions, termed “inauthentic behaviors,” that distinguish an illegal, covert influence operation from the standard political marketing strategies common in election campaigns.
The records were provided to the outlet by Vincent Edward Reed, a U.S. entrepreneur and technologist who served as a consultant for Elytron between 2024 and 2025. He also facilitated the presentation of the technology to individuals linked to the 2024 campaign of U.S. President Donald Trump. The system was demonstrated to Republicans, but it is unknown if it was ever purchased.
Reed says that he severed ties with the company after realizing that Elytron possessed systems that violated ethical and legal standards.
“When I saw the demonstration [of the system] and the dashboard, I could understand what it was capable of. And that was concerning to me because I saw that it was targeting voters and could reach them with AI-generated deepfakes,” he said.
The former consultant reported the operation to the FBI and the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, but the investigations did not progress. A payment of $120,000 made by the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro to the company caught Reed’s attention, prompting him to reveal the story to The Intercept.
There is no evidence, however, to prove that the political manipulation system he described has been used by Flávio Bolsonaro or the Liberal Party during the 2026 elections.
Payments Declared by Flávio’s Campaign
According to records from DivulgaCand, an electoral justice system that compiles information on candidacies and campaign expenditures, Flávio submitted three invoices: two for $100,000 each, issued on September 16, 2026 (one of which was subsequently canceled), and another for $20,000, issued on October 2. Together, these invoices total $120,000 paid to Elytron.
The invoices describe the services as “information technology consulting” and mention activities such as “forensic support,” “phishing investigation” (a possible reference to a type of cyberattack, though the term is misspelled), “security testing,” and “infrastructure monitoring.”
Although the recorded payments total $120,000, the partial financial disclosure submitted by the campaign at the end of September indicated an expenditure of $200,000 with the company.
The Liberal Party, for its part, declared a payment of $26,000 to Elytron on July 20 of this year.
The record describes the service as the use of “technical-professional services.”
Parties Deny Contracting Illegal Services
When reached for comment, the campaign of Flávio Bolsonaro said that it “does not contract any service that violates electoral legislation.”
It characterized the “attempt to associate the hiring of a service exclusively for information security, intended to protect communication systems against cyberattacks, with practices of political manipulation” as a serious matter, driven by a “clear, politically motivated, electoral bias.”
Flávio Bolsonaro’s office further emphasized that the contracting process followed standard, proper procedures.
In a statement, Elytron declared that it “vehemently repudiates any attempt to link its name to the dissemination of false information, the use of deepfakes, or the execution of clandestine operations to manipulate public opinion.”
According to the statement, the company asserted that it did not provide services to the Trump campaign and did not authorize “commercial presentations to be made on its behalf offering political influence operations.”
Elytron stated that it will investigate the facts and determine any potential liability regarding the unauthorized use of its name.
Regarding the services provided to Flávio’s campaign and the Liberal Party, the company highlighted that they “serve a technical and preventive purpose, focused on cyber protection, communication security, the preservation of information confidentiality, and the protection of the clients’ technological infrastructure.”
Shady Connections
Beyond Flávio, the company also maintains ties to other figures within the Brazilian far-right, such as the politician Pablo Marçal, who joined Bolsonaro’s campaign in late September after his own presidential bid was barred by the Superior Electoral Court. The company also has connections in Portugal and with authorities in the United Arab Emirates, including Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whom The Wall Street Journal has dubbed the “spy sheikh.”
Interference in Brazilian Elections
Operating an AI political manipulation system of this nature would violate laws governing elections in Brazil, as it compromises the integrity of the electoral process. Using a tool for such a purpose runs counter to the policies and terms of use established by social media platforms themselves.
This story was originally published by ICL Noticias, based on reporting from The Intercept Brasil. It was translated by Panamerican Dispatch. You can read the original story in Portuguese, here.