Why the Trump Administration Is Being Accused of Interfering in Brazil's Election

The Trump administration is facing accusations from Democratic lawmakers that it is trying to sway Brazil's elections this Sunday, a charge the White House flatly denies. Voters will choose members of Congress, governors and a first-round presidential candidate. A runoff is expected on Oct. 25, with polls showing incumbent leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly contesting the race against Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, whose father, Jair Bolsonaro, was found guilty last year of coup plotting, according to Time.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump said he is watching the vote "very closely." The State Department then announced it was halting consular services in Brazil, pointing to unspecified security worries. In a Sept. 24 letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 30 House Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders described a sustained campaign of interference. Three Democratic senators wrote Rubio again on Monday, citing tariffs and sanctions tied to Jair Bolsonaro's trial, a new 25% tariff on many Brazilian imports, and Darren Beattie's role as a State Department adviser on Brazil. They asked the administration to accept the certified result.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly called the claims nonsense.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Time’s reporting. Read the full story at Time →