Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Faces Calls to Resign Amid Allegations
SAO PAULO (AP) — Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Supreme Court is under mounting pressure to step down following allegations of connections with disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro. This development comes after de Moraes sentenced ex-President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years imprisonment for a coup attempt.
On Wednesday, politicians, government ministers, newspapers, and legal experts intensified their scrutiny of de Moraes after federal police documents revealed that Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master, frequently consulted someone identified as de Moraes for advice. According to the documents, Vorcaro acted on advice from de Moraes on numerous occasions and expressed gratitude in messages to the justice.
The ten justices of the Supreme Court convened in Brasilia shortly after these revelations but did not address the issue. Justice André Mendonca, who released the documents, sat next to de Moraes during the session, and the two did not communicate while the court discussed other matters.
Outside the court, calls for de Moraes’ resignation grew louder. Folha de S. Paulo, a major Brazilian daily, stated, “As long as the justice remains on the bench, dishonor and discredit will continue to pile up on the court. The most dignified and swift course would be for the justice to resign. That would spare the country’s institutions unnecessary and prolonged damage.” The newspaper suggested impeachment by the Senate if de Moraes does not step down.
In the political arena, the scandal has ensnared several figures, including opposition candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro and an ally of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula has remained silent on the matter, but Sen. Bolsonaro, who acknowledged receiving $12 million from Vorcaro for a film about his father, accused de Moraes of committing “several crimes.” During a campaign event, he insisted, “It is not acceptable, with all that has been revealed, that he continues to be a Supreme Court justice.”
Additional calls for de Moraes’ departure came from other political candidates, citing the need for clarity or resignation. The unsealed documents also revealed that de Moraes reviewed a 130 million Brazilian reais contract between Vorcaro and de Moraes’ wife, Viviane Barci de Moraes, which was publicly known. Her lawyers stated that the review was to ensure no conflict of interest existed and emphasized that de Moraes never ruled on Banco Master or Vorcaro cases.
Thus far, de Moraes has not commented on the allegations. Carlos Fávaro, a former agriculture minister, has urged de Moraes to either clarify the situation or resign. The Supreme Court must decide on a formal investigation into de Moraes, with decisions resting in the hands of Mendonca and Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin. Fachin assured that the appropriate steps would be taken after a thorough examination of the facts, stressing the importance of maintaining the court’s integrity and public trust.
“In moments of particular gravity, it is everyone’s duty to preserve the integrity of the Supreme Court, the authority of its decisions, respect for its rules and, above all, society’s trust in the institution,” Fachin stated.
