A Brazilian hacker who was arrested Wednesday had previously told Federal Police investigators that he was once approached by former President Jair Bolsonaro about tampering with electronic voting machines.
Walter Delgatti claimed that he met with Bolsonaro at the Alvorada Palace - the presidential home in Brasilia - and was asked if he could hack the electronic ballot system if he was given their codes, Brazilian news outlet G1 has revealed.
However, the hacker told investigators that 'this went no further.'
Delgatti was questioned by the Federal Police in June after he was arrested for disobeying a court order that barred him from managing social media accounts - he was in charge of running the platforms belonging to Carla Zambelli, a Federal Deputy from the southeastern state of São Paulo - and told agents that she had arranged the meeting with the former far-right leader.
His arrest Wednesday stems from an investigation into the hacking of the National Council of Justice's system during a span of two days in January. Delgatti allegedly was able to process fake release permits for 11 individuals and arrest warrants in the National Prison Monitoring Bank.
Walter Delgatti (left) was questioned by Brazil's Federal Police in June and said that congresswoman Carla Zambelli (right) arranged a meeting with former President Jair Bolsonaro, who asked him if he could hack into electronic voting machines. Delgatti was arrested Wednesday as part of an investigation into the January hacking of National Council of Justice's system
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (pictured) referred to São Paulo Federal Deputy Carla Zambelli as "crazy" and "toxic" after he learned a hacker told cops Bolsonaro had asked him if he could break into electric voting machines if he were provided their codes
One of the warrants signed off the arrest of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the head of Brazil's electoral authority.
Bolsonaro reacted to news of the arrest by referring to Zambelli as someone who was 'crazy', 'inconsequential' and 'toxic,' according to Brazilian news outlet Metropoles.
A Federal Police source with knowledge of the investigation told G1 that is likely that Bolsonaro will be questioned about the hacker's shocking allegations.
Authorities searched the congresswoman's home in São Paulo and office in Brasilia. They confiscated her registered firearms, passport and other personal items valued at about $2,000.
Zambelli met with reporters Wednesday and absolved Bolsonaro of any wrongdoing.
'I was the only one in contact with Walter, so there was no contact between the two,' she said. 'And I think you are already making speculations trying to involve the president in a situation that is mine. I say the following: if there is anything related to Walter Delgatti and Carla Zambelli ... he (Bolsonaro) has absolutely nothing to do with it.'
Zambelli said that the search at the congressional office was ordered by Moraes and said that it was conducted illegally.
Congresswoman Carla Zambelli (left) told reporters that former President Jair Bolsonaro (right) had nothing to do with the hacker who told cops that she set up a meeting where Bolsonaro asked if it was possible to hack into electronic voting machines
Brazilian authorities are expected to call in former President Jair Bolsonaro (left) for questioning after a hacker told Federal Police investigators that congresswoman Carla Zambelli (right) arranged a meeting in which Bolsonaro asked if he could hack into electronic voter machines with codes were made available
'There is a law here here in the Chamber that says that the office can only be opened for search and seizure if there is a lawyer from the chamber and the legislative police,' she said. 'And the federal police by order of Alexandre de Moraes opened my office without the presence of any witnesses and this violates the Chamber's regulations and must also violate the due process of law.'
Zambelli's legal team released a statement saying that 'the suspicion that she has participated in any illicit act is refuted.'
She did acknowledge meeting him on three occasions.
'What I have to do with Walter is that I met him, leaving a hotel. He kept changing his phone number, he wanted to talk (in person). We saw each other three times, and we talked about technology,' she Zambelli said. 'Once I helped him to come to Brasilia, he said he would have evidence and services to offer the PL (Liberal Party) and I took him to (congressman) Valdemar da Costa Neto, we had a meeting.'
Federal Police investigators found that Zambelli's advisors paid Delgatti about $2,800, which was split into two payments.
Renan Goulart, who was Zambelli's parliamentary secretary, made three bank transfers to Delgatti that totaled $2,180. He's now an advisor to São Paulo state deputy Bruno Zambelli, Carla Zambelli's brother.
Jean Vilela, who works in the congresswoman's office, made one transfer of $620.
Delgatti told police that he tried to hack the Superior Electoral Court's ballot boxes on several occasions.
But he was unable to hack the system 'because the source code of the voting machine would be hosted on an offline computer.'
He said that congresswoman Zambelli was regularly 'questioning the integrality of the electronic voting system, electronic ballot box.'