Brazilian President Michel Temer speaks during press statement, at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil June 27, 2017. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin has sent corruption charges against President Michel Temer directly to the lower house of Congress, rejecting a preliminary defense request made by the president’s lawyers, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation.

Fachin, the magistrate responsible for the massive Operation Car Wash corruption investigation on Brazil’s highest court, sent the documentation related to Temer’s case to Lower House Speaker Rodrigo Maia on Wednesday, said the person, who asked for anonymity to speak freely about the case.