No indication JBS S.A. is facing investigations in the U.S

OMAHA (DTN) -- The world's largest meatpacker -- and second-largest global food company -- is directly involved with a bribery scandal at the highest levels in its home country of Brazil, but there is no indication JBS S.A. is facing investigations in the U.S.Joesley Batista, chairman of JBS S.A., is caught up in a political scandal with global market impacts. While JBS is based in Brazil, the company last year had $33.9 billion in sales of U.S. and Canadian beef, pork and poultry, accounting for more than half of the company's revenue, according to JBS' financial reports.A spokesman for JBS USA Holdings told DTN on Friday the company is not commenting further on the investigation in Brazil. The company is not under investigation in the U.S. related to the controversy.Still, revelations continued coming out of Brazil on Friday as the country's Supreme Court released testimony from Batista showing he and other JBS S.A. executives gave at least $2.2 million in bribes to current Brazilian President Michel Temer. Batista also claimed in testimony for a plea deal that he gave millions more in bribes to Brazil's last two presidents as well through off-shore accounts, Dow Jones reported.Associated Press later reported that Brazil's attorney general accused Temer of corruption and obstruction of justice.Batista turned over recordings to the Brazilian Supreme Court about bribes involving JBS executives that included a recording of Temer encouraging Batista to keep paying bribes to another Brazilian politician who is already in prison.Batista's role in the presidential scandal comes just a week after Brazilian law enforcement issued dozens of search warrants against JBS in a criminal investigation called "Operation Bullish." The investigation involves billions of dollars of loans made by a subsidiary of the National Economic and Social Development Bank to JBS as far back as a decade ago. The company issued a "notice to the market" declaring that all of the loans made by the bank to JBS "were fully compliant with the Brazilian capital markets legislation and devoid of preferential treatment or benefits to JBS."Still, federal authorities in Brazil stated that unnamed executives at the company were prohibited from foreign travel or making any major corporate changes.JBS S.A. released another notice to the market on its website Thursday stating that seven executives had reached a plea deal with prosecutors in return for a fine and cooperation. However, Brazilian prosecutors indicated Batista remains under investigation, according to AP.