Brazil’s Supreme Court has found itself at the centre of a corruption scandal roiling the country, with the body considering investigations into two justices who have accused each other of wrongdoing. The dispute centres on Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case that convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro, and Justice Andre Mendonca, a Bolsonaro appointee. Mendonca released a report this week showing alleged links between de Moraes and disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro, accused of a wide-reaching fraud scheme.
De Moraes subsequently accused Mendonca of abusing his authority by unsealing the documents. Chief Justice Edson Fachin said on Friday that he would give Brazil’s attorney general five days to weigh the allegations against Mendonca. The court is also set to decide next week whether to investigate de Moraes.
The right has pounced on the allegations against de Moraes to cast doubt on the case against Bolsonaro, who is currently under house arrest after receiving a 27-year prison sentence for his involvement in a coup plot. Following his loss to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2022, prosecutors say Bolsonaro and his far-right allies sought to subvert the election results and derail the transition of power. Post-election tensions culminated in an attack on key government buildings in the capital Brasilia on January 8, 2023, led by Bolsonaro supporters who allegedly hoped to trigger a military uprising.
In November 2024, Brazil’s federal police recommended charges be brought against Bolsonaro and a group of his key allies. Bolsonaro, however, has portrayed the case as a “witch hunt” orchestrated by the left. He has received support from high-profile figures, including United States President Donald Trump.
De Moraes oversaw the Bolsonaro case, putting him at the centre of a political firestorm. Trump’s Treasury Department briefly sanctioned De Moraes for his involvement in the Bolsonaro trial, as well as his suspensions of online platforms like Rumble and X, the latter run by Trump ally Elon Musk. De Moraes was appointed to the Supreme Court under the presidency of Michel Temer, a centre-right politician, and he has since become a target for Brazil’s far-right, due to his involvement in sensitive cases, including Bolsonaro’s.
Experts like Recondo say the Supreme Court has served as a intermediary in some of Brazil’s most heated political fights. And that is a problem.” The Vorcaro fraud scandal, however, threatens to tarnish the court’s reputation. This week’s unsealed documents suggest that the banker Vorcaro may have reached out to de Moraes for advice.
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