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Extortion allegations against journalist Rodrigo Bocardi

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2026-09-14 18:24 UTC → 2026-10-04 01:52 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Journalist Rodrigo Bocardi is facing allegations of extortion and unethical journalistic practices following claims made by Jonas Donizete, the former Secretary of Technology and Communication for Embu das Artes. Donizete alleges that Bocardi used his multimedia company, BocaTV, to pressure municipal governments in São Paulo for advertising contracts in exchange for favorable news coverage, claiming to possess recordings that support these accusations. Bocardi has denied the claims, describing them as ‘bandidagem’ (thuggery) and stating that BocaTV’s ‘Prefeitura Parceira’ commercial model for institutional advertising is legal. He has characterized the accusations as ‘a big lie invented to harm me’ and maintains he has evidence to refute the claims, asserting that the accusations are based on an edited audio recording. Following the controversy, the broadcaster SBT initially placed Bocardi on temporary leave while its compliance department conducted an internal investigation. SBT later confirmed the termination of Bocardi’s contract, stating the decision followed Bocardi’s choice to focus on his own companies. Bocardi has criticized the network, describing the situation as a ~~“destruction~~ ‘destruction of ~~reputation”~~ reputation’ and accusing SBT of relying on ‘social media gossip’ rather than proper verification. During a live interview on Band, Bocardi escalated his criticism by alleging the controversy was being used as a ~~“backdrop”~~ ‘backdrop’ to distract from scandals involving Fábio Faria and connections to the Banco Master case. Following these comments, the network Band issued an official statement repudiating Bocardi’s conduct, stating he breached a prior agreement by using the platform to address inappropriate subjects rather than focusing solely on his departure from SBT. Following his departure, Bocardi further escalated tensions with his former employer by mockingly commenting on SBT’s low audience ratings. After a post showed the network in fourth place behind Globo, Record, and Band, Bocardi responded ironically with the word ‘Sucessoo!!’

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