Judge Alexandre de Moraes sends a petition against his colleague André Mendonça to the president of the Brazilian Supreme Court
Quick Look
- Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes sent President Edson Fachin a 20-page petition and reports from the Federal Police that would report alleged irregularities committed by his colleague André Mendonça in the 'Sem Desconto' and 'Compliance Zero' operations, accusing him of abuse of authority, offenses against morality and public administration and crime of responsibility.
- The move comes after Mendonça removed the secrecy of a report containing messages between Moraes and banker Daniel Vorcaro, founder of Banco Master.
- Moraes claims that Mendonça usurped the direction of the investigation, participated irregularly in judicial negotiations and directed investigations against Moraes himself and the president of the Senate Davi Alcolumbre for personal and political reasons.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The investigation into fake news was opened in March 2019 by the then President of the Supreme Court Dias Toffoli and entrusted to Alexandre de Moraes. The investigation concerns threats, attacks and alleged disinformation campaigns against the Court's judges and democratic institutions.
Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes sent the president of the country's highest legal body, Edson Fachin, a 20-page petition and intelligence reports from the Federal Police (PF) which, according to him, would report alleged irregularities committed by his colleague André Mendonça in the conduct of the "Sem Desconto" operations on fraud against pensioners and "Compliance Zero" on the Master Bank. Moraes states that there are "strong indications" of abuse of authority, crimes against morality and public administration ("improbidade administrativa") and crimes of liability.
The move comes two days after Mendonça, rapporteur of the Banco Master investigation, removed the secrecy of a PF report containing messages between Moraes and the banker Daniel Vorcaro, founder of Banco Master. Moraes accuses Mendonça of an alleged violation of judicial impartiality and favoring certain political groups. Based on reports from the Federal Police, he attributes three types of conduct to him: having usurped the direction of the investigations, compromising the chain of custody of the evidence; having participated irregularly in negotiations for judicial collaboration; and having directed investigations against Moraes himself and the president of the Senate Davi Alcolumbre for alleged personal and political reasons.
The affair is part of the so-called "fake news investigation", opened in March 2019 by the then President of the Supreme Court Dias Toffoli and entrusted to Moraes. The investigation, still without a conclusion date, concerns threats, attacks and alleged disinformation campaigns against the Court's judges and democratic institutions. Moraes sent the documents to Fachin "for the measures he deems necessary", removed the secrecy and informed the General Prosecutor's Office, led by Paulo Gonet.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Edson Fachin will initiate disciplinary or judicial proceedings against André Mendonça based on the petition
Likely · Within weeks
The dispute between Moraes and Mendonça will have repercussions on the fake news investigation and on investigations related to Banco Master
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- What action will Edson Fachin take on the petition?
- What concrete evidence is contained in the Federal Police reports?
- How will André Mendonça respond to the accusations?
- What consequences could this controversy have on the independence of the Brazilian Supreme Court?
