Brazil’s Supreme Court is considering investigations involving Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Andre Mendonca, who have accused each other of wrongdoing in a dispute linked to disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro.
Chief Justice Edson Fachin said he would give Brazil’s attorney general five days to assess allegations against Mendonca. The court is expected to decide next week whether to investigate de Moraes.
What triggered the dispute
Mendonca, a Bolsonaro appointee, released a report alleging links between de Moraes and Vorcaro, who is accused of a wide-reaching fraud scheme. Documents unsealed this week suggest Vorcaro may have contacted de Moraes for advice, prompting politicians to demand that the justice explain the relationship and, in some cases, call for his resignation.
De Moraes responded by accusing Mendonca of abusing his authority by unsealing the documents. The allegations have not been presented in the supplied material as established findings of wrongdoing by either justice.
Why the court is under political pressure
De Moraes oversaw the case that convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest after receiving a 27-year prison sentence for involvement in a coup plot. Prosecutors say Bolsonaro and his allies sought to overturn his 2022 election loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and disrupt the transfer of power; Bolsonaro describes the case as a politically motivated “witch hunt”.
The dispute has given Bolsonaro’s supporters an opportunity to challenge the legitimacy of the case against him. De Moraes has also become a target of Brazil’s far-right because of his role in sensitive cases and suspensions of online platforms including Rumble and X. For additional context, see “Herridge asks Supreme Court to stop daily fines over sources”.
The dispute’s effect on the election
The allegations are unfolding before Brazil’s presidential election on October 4, when Lula is due to face Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro. The senator has portrayed the allegations as evidence of a political alliance between de Moraes and the left, while also facing scrutiny over reported messages involving Vorcaro and funding for a film about his father. He has denied wrongdoing and described the project as private.
Felipe Recondo, a journalist and longtime court researcher, said the Supreme Court has acted as an intermediary in major political conflicts and warned that damage to its standing could leave conflict as the dominant force in Brazilian politics.
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