Where will Brazil’s new president take Operation Car Wash?

The fight against bribery and corruption in Brazil took a decidedly sinister twist as leaked recordings appear to demonstrate new cabinet officials, who came on board after the departure of President Dilma Rouseff, were working to subvert the very probe which has brought her government such grief.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, “Transparency Minister Fabiano Silveira—whose job is intended to fight corruption—was heard in a recording apparently advising Senate President Renan Calheiros on how to dodge investigators.” Reuters.com reported that “Silveira criticizes prosecutors in the probe focused on state-controlled oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA, known as Petrobras, which has already implicated dozens of politicians and led to the imprisonment of top executives.”

Silveria said his comments were “taken out of context.” Of course, this was...