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Brazil's Star Carwash Judge Gets a Job Interview With Bolsonaro

Brazil's Star Carwash Judge Gets a Job Interview With Bolsonaro

(Bloomberg) -- Judge Sergio Moro, who led Brazil’s massive anti-corruption drive, just pulled into the driveway of the house of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s right-wing president-elect, for a job interview. The options are justice minister or an appointment to the Supreme Court.

The benefits for Bolsonaro are obvious -- tapping a law-and-order hero is a safe bet to boost support from his conservative base and beyond, and Moro’s credibility could help his nascent administration attract more talent to top posts.

But the move would also have drawbacks, mainly for Moro. Left-wing former presidential candidate Ciro Gomes was quick to accuse the judge of using the investigation to launch a political career. In theory the Carwash probe would carry on under other judges, but in Brazil’s polarized political environment, many people are already questioning its future.

For his part, Moro told local paper Folha de S.Paulo on the plane this morning that nothing is settled yet on a cabinet post, and that he would continue pursuing organized crime.

Outside Bolsonaro’s home in Rio, reporters and supporters gathered with inflatable Moro dolls being sold in the likeness of Superman.

To contact the reporters on this story: Peter Millard in Rio de Janeiro at pmillard1@bloomberg.net;R.T. Watson in Rio de Janeiro at rwatson71@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Cancel at dcancel@bloomberg.net, Raymond Colitt

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