Federal investigators recovered text messages showing the leadership of the Metrópoles portal shared draft articles with former Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro before publication, accepting edits and removing critical details as part of an arrangement tied to a R$ 20 million advertising contract, according to reporting by the UOL portal.
Investigators probing the inner workings of Daniel Vorcaro uncovered an extensive communications archive on the former banker’s mobile device, which was seized by the Polícia Federal (PF). The records expose a routine where high-level publishing executives routinely ran financial reporting past the subject of the coverage, opening the door for direct content modifications, vetoes, and targeted pautas before articles reached the public.
The R$ 20 Million Metrópoles Agreement and Editorial Access
The relationship between the publishing group and the banking executive solidified in 2024, when the Master closed a R$ 20 million advertising contract with the Metrópoles. The portal’s owner is former senator Luiz Estevão.
By late 2024, the arrangement expanded into a broader commercial pact. An internal marketing director, Ana Matos, noted that the overall value reached R$ 20 million and questioned whether the sum was too high, prompting Vorcaro to dismiss the expense with a stark assessment of the portal’s utility.
Daniel Vorcaro told UOL, The most important thing in our life is this Metrópoles.
The financial obligation was settled across 2025 through installments of R$ 5 million. Throughout this period, the editorial boundary between the newsroom and its commercial partners blurred significantly. When questioned by UOL regarding the arrangement, Lilian Tahan defended the practice, stating that checking whether a story reflects a source’s context is an approach she applies with business, political, and judicial figures.
Text Corrections, Vetoes, and Target Adjustments
Federal police analysis identified at least 14 reports sent to Vorcaro prior to publication, with 11 undergoing alterations based on his instructions, alongside two articles published directly at his request. When the portal prepared articles concerning difficult financial circumstances at the bank, the former owner intervened directly to alter figures or suppress unfavorable facts.
In April 2025, when the portal published details regarding an alleged offer to purchase bank assets for a nominal sum, Vorcaro issued a direct correction.
Proposta de 1 real nunca existiu!
Daniel Vorcaro, former bank owner
Tahan removed the reference immediately, replying Tiramos
. In subsequent exchanges, the CEO adopted a cautious approach to publishing sensitive profiles. On one occasion in April 2025, she informed the banker that an article would remain held until they spoke, writing, If there is any inaccuracy, let me know!! I won’t publish it without us talking
.
Targeting Regulatory Figures and Broader Media Influence
The messaging records also document efforts to shape public perception regarding regulatory figures examining the bank’s corporate transactions. When coverage touched on Renato Gomes, a director at the Banco Central, Vorcaro suggested shifting emphasis away from the official’s specific actions. The portal followed the orientation.
Other interventions targeted critics of the institution. Vorcaro urged the portal to ease coverage of Ricardo Cappelli, a critic of the financial maneuvers. Tahan complied with the request, assuring the executive with the phrase Deixa comigo
.
Beyond the primary portal, the investigative files recovered by authorities indicate that influence operations extended across multiple digital outlets and print publications through retainer agreements, commercial investments, and reputation management channels managed by associates. The broader leaks also prompted consequences elsewhere in the media landscape, including the departure of Frederic Kachar, director-general of Print Media and Radio at Globo, following the disclosure of his own messaging exchanges with the banker.
