The Government of contracted a media training service that involved preparing the current vice-governor, Celina Leão (PP), to run in the 2026 elections. She plans to run for command of the federal capital with the support of ().
In mock interviews carried out at the end of October, Celina was asked about her intention to compete for the Buriti Palace, her proximity to the Bolsonaro family and her relationship with the government (PT). The vice-governor also attended a “communication and public speaking” workshop, which had as one of its dynamics the theme “why should I vote for Celina Leão?”.
The training was budgeted at R$23,200 and carried out by the FSB, the country’s corporate communications department. “When being a candidate for the Government of DF, in 2026, your biggest challenge is to show that your candidacy represents a new stage for the DF”, says the company’s report.
The DF Government approved the service and authorized payment on December 1st, but retreated hours after being questioned by Sheet, last Thursday (4). In a note, Ibaneis management states that “there was, and will not be, payment for said delivery, as improprieties were identified in the material”.
In 2024, the FSB signed a corporate communications contract worth R$9.6 million with the DF, which includes media training services. “FSB Comunicação follows a standard for applying media training to leaders, authorities and executives so that they are prepared to deal with the wide range of issues that may arise in a journalistic interview”, says the company.
The company produced two reports on the training, one on “performance” and another specific to the communication and public speaking workshop. In both, there are mentions of Federal District Government themes, such as public security, and references to the 2026 elections. The document about the workshop has two “dynamics”, one of which deals with the reasons for voting for Celina and points out suggestions on how she can present herself to the voter.
“To move forward, both on social media and in her speeches and debates, it is recommended that Celina works even harder on her purpose in politics. People vote for Celina because they identify with her purpose. What she does is a consequence of that”, says an excerpt from the FSB report.
One of the stages of the media training was a simulated “surprise interview” with a TV reporter. The first questions involved the possibility of former governor José Roberto Arruda running in the Federal District and whether both would run for the “same electorate”.
The vice-governor responded that “she is living in a new moment” and that she does not see Arruda as a threat. In other sections, she was asked about safety and the increase in the homeless population in Brasília.
The “performance report” made by the FSB says that Celina had a “good reaction to the provocation”. “He knew how to react calmly to sensitive questions such as Arruda’s alleged electoral threat, the opposition’s actions and implicit accusations”, states the document.
It is common for authorities and businesspeople to do media training. The service is provided for in several public contracts, but the purpose must be to prepare authorities to respond on institutional matters.
The Federal District government itself states, in an internal document produced when the payment was withdrawn, that the content of Celina’s training “does not correspond to the contractual object”, “contrary to the institutional purpose and contravening the principles of legality and impersonality in the execution of the contract”.
Still on the 4th, Secom do DF told Sheet that Celina will also not pay for the service, even though she benefited from the training, as “the FSB was responsible for the problem.”
In the “communication and oratory” stage of the media training, Celina recorded short videos about the political objective and the definition of governing. In another “dynamic”, which dealt with the reasons for voting for the current vice-governor, the FSB report states that Celina “spoke with emotion”. The same document says that she could “add a story that reflects what it means to vote for Celina.”
The report also states that Celina’s challenge is to “raise the stories” and presents phrases for the vice-governor to use. “I’m like anyone who loves DF and wants to see our city succeed”, says one of the messages recommended by the FSB.
“Voting for Celina Leão is ‘choosing a leadership that listens, feels and transforms'”, says another excerpt from the document.
The media training also involved simulating an interview lasting around 20 minutes for a radio program. She was asked about a possible dispute with Arruda and replied that she has focused on her work as vice-governor and does not want to anticipate the electoral process.
In another excerpt, the interviewer states that Celina is “very close to the Bolsonaro family, especially the former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro” and asks about Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction. The vice-governor defended that people involved in the coup acts of January 8th be “penalized to the extent of the crime they committed, which are crimes of vandalism”.
