SAO PAULO, Brazil: Senator Flávio Bolsonaro denied any wrongdoing in his reported request for millions from jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro, a revelation that could affect the lawmaker's bid for the country's presidency in October.

Earlier, The Intercept Brazil released voice messages in which Flávio Bolsonaro asked banker Vorcaro for 61 million reais (about US$12 million) to fund a film called "The Dark Horse," about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is in jail. The report says he asked for even more money after receiving the first amount.

Vorcaro, a former CEO of the now-closed Banco Master, is at the center of a major corruption scandal. He is accused of cheating around 800,000 clients, including state pension funds, out of hundreds of millions of dollars by convincing them to invest in risky and dishonest schemes.

Police estimate the total fraud could be about 12 billion reais ($2.3 billion). Federal police and the Supreme Court are still investigating the case.

Flávio Bolsonaro defended himself, saying he was only seeking private funding for a film about his father and that no public money or illegal favors were involved. He also denied receiving any money or having secret meetings or business dealings with the government.

However, just hours before the messages became public, he told reporters he had no connection with Vorcaro. He had made a similar denial earlier when reports said his phone number was found in the banker's phone.

In one voice message, Bolsonaro admitted he felt uncomfortable asking for money but said the film was at a critical stage and facing payment delays. He said everyone involved was under pressure, and he was worried the project might fail. He sent more messages in the following months asking for financial help.

In another message, he stressed the importance of paying well-known figures involved in the film, including actor Jim Caviezel and director Cyrus Nowrasteh, warning that failure to meet commitments could ruin the project. Vorcaro replied that he would make the payment soon.

A political expert said these revelations could hurt Bolsonaro's campaign, especially since his main strength is being the son of the former president. The expert added that asking a banker under investigation for money could damage his chances and even force his party to consider another candidate.

Vorcaro was arrested in March and is now trying to make a deal with authorities. Brazil's Central Bank had already shut down Banco Master in November.

Since the scandal came out, Bolsonaro and his allies have tried to blame President Lula without evidence. Meanwhile, Lula's supporters in Congress are pushing for an official investigation into Bolsonaro's links with Vorcaro.

After the news broke, Flávio Bolsonaro met with party leaders in Brasília but left without speaking to reporters waiting outside.