The release of recordings by Joesley Batista involving then-president of Brazil Michel Temer triggered a political crisis and a sharp drop in the stock market—an episode that became known as “Joesley Day.” According to the recordings, published on the website of the newspaper O Globo, they were part of a plea bargain agreement in Operation Car Wash (Operação Lava Jato). Joesley and his brother, Wesley Batista, admitted to bribing nearly 2,000 politicians and confessed to corruption schemes, including paying bribes to the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) and influencing operations at Caixa Econômica Federal, a state-owned bank.
As part of the plea deal—which included the payment of R$10.3 billion (around US$ 3.16 billion at that time)) over 25 years—they both avoided serious penalties. In 2023, Supreme Federal Court (STF) Justice Dias Toffoli suspended the remaining payments still owed by the company.
