, a source close to the matter confirmed their names as Gercino dos Santos Jr. and Elma Santos Preven.The New York TimesSantos’ father and aunt both donated thousands to his congressional bid, according to federal elections data. Preven’s social media accounts reflect a particular interest in Brazilian politics, as she has posted material critical of the country’s left-wing President Ignacio Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and supportive of his far-right foe and predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.
Since then, Santos and his lawyers have fought tooth and nail to keep their names out of the public eye, citing perceived threats to their physical safety and emotional well-being. The identity of Santos’ mystery benefactors drew the interest not only of the news media, but the House Ethics Committee as well, which wants to evaluate whether receiving the bail bond breached congressional rules on receiving gifts.