PF Report Finds No Crime by Maranhão Blogger, Contradicting Key Elements of Moraes Decision
By Hotspotnews
A Federal Police intelligence report that underpinned a recent Supreme Court decision has concluded that blogger and journalist Luís Pablo, who covers Maranhão politics, did not commit the crimes of functional secrecy violation or persecution attributed in judicial reasoning by Minister Alexandre de Moraes. The document, obtained and detailed by reporters Malu Gaspar and Johanns Eller, states there is no indication the journalist broke functional secrecy rules and that investigators cannot assert with maximum certainty that he received payment for stories critical of fellow Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino.
Luís Pablo began publishing reports in November 2025 questioning the use of an official vehicle belonging to the Maranhão Court of Justice by Dino and members of his family. Dino has maintained there was no irregular use. The investigation was opened at Dino’s request. It was initially assigned to another justice before being redistributed to Moraes on the grounds that it resembled ongoing inquiries into digital militias and false information.
In March 2026, on Moraes’ order, police seized two cell phones, a notebook, and a pen drive from Luís Pablo. Analysis of that material identified a source: former state secretary Raimundo Cutrim. This led to a further search-and-seizure operation authorized the following week against the source and related individuals. Moraes’ decision cited material and financial support provided to the blogger, discussions about the content of the published stories, and indications of attempts to delete relevant electronic messages. He pointed to a risk to Dino’s physical integrity and referenced the Prosecutor General’s Office support for the measures, describing relevant indications that Luís Pablo had committed the crime of persecution.
The police intelligence report that supported the later request reaches different conclusions regarding the journalist. It confirms that Luís Pablo received images and documents via messaging apps and met the source in person. Investigators describe the blogger as holding a tendentious stance against Dino and focusing on stories that portray him as an influential political opponent of the Maranhão government. However, the report finds he did not participate in acts of persecution. The responsible delegate explicitly stated that the journalist is not being accused of the crime in question, noting that his conduct is, in principle, covered by the right to freedom of the press recognized by Brazilian courts.
By contrast, the report indicates that a public agent who accesses restricted data and irregularly discloses it for publication could potentially fall under the criminal provision covering violation of functional secrecy. Separate findings in the seized material include messages involving suggested edits to critical stories and a R$100,000 deposit linked to a land purchase by the journalist, paid through multiple sources including an intermediary. The blogger has described certain payments from the state Legislative Assembly as compensation for advertising banners, a practice he said was suspended during the electoral period. Police noted that a common surname in the state prevents firm conclusions about family ties between the source and a recipient of one payment.
The discrepancy between the police assessment of the journalist’s role and the judicial characterization of indications against him has drawn attention to questions of source protection and the boundaries of press freedom in cases involving coverage of public officials. The report itself distinguishes the actions of the source from those of the reporter, underscoring that the latter’s publications fall under constitutional protections even when the underlying information originates from restricted channels. Further proceedings will determine how these findings shape any continued investigation or judicial review.