Brazil Judge Alexandre De Moraes Faces Resignation Calls Over Vorcaro Links
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for a coup attempt, is facing growing calls to resign following revelations about his alleged links to disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro.
The pressure intensified after federal police documents made public by Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça indicated that Vorcaro, the former owner of Banco Master, repeatedly sought advice from a person investigators identified as de Moraes. Investigators believe Vorcaro acted on advice from the judge on different occasions. The banker also appeared to thank de Moraes in messages that police could not fully read and referred to their alleged conversations in exchanges with friends.
The revelations have triggered scrutiny from politicians, legal experts, newspapers and government figures, while putting Brazil's top court under renewed pressure ahead of the October elections.
Brazil's 10-member Supreme Court met in Brasilia on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the disclosures emerged, but did not publicly address the allegations during the session. De Moraes sat beside Mendonça, who had unsealed the documents, but the two did not speak during proceedings concerning other cases.
Outside the court, calls for de Moraes to leave intensified. Folha de S. Paulo argued that his continued presence on the bench was damaging the court's credibility and said the Senate should impeach him if he does not resign.
The scandal surrounding Banco Master and Vorcaro has also ensnared politicians. Opposition Senator Flávio Bolsonaro acknowledged receiving at least USD 12 million from Vorcaro to sponsor a film about his father and accused de Moraes of committing crimes. He said it was unacceptable for the justice to remain on the Supreme Court. Other political candidates have also demanded his departure.
The documents also showed de Moraes reviewed a 130 million Brazilian reais (about USD 26 million) contract between Vorcaro and his wife, lawyer Viviane Barci de Moraes. Her lawyers said he checked the agreement to ensure there was no conflict of interest and stressed that he never ruled on cases involving Banco Master or Vorcaro.
Former Lula government agriculture minister Carlos Fávaro said de Moraes had two choices: explain what happened or resign. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and current government ministers have largely remained silent.
Meanwhile, Mendonça has sought to advance scrutiny of the matter, while Attorney General Paulo Gonet has challenged aspects of his handling of the case, arguing that the justice exceeded his authority in ordering a preliminary investigation without the required institutional approval.
Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin said the court would analyse the facts and announce the appropriate next steps in the coming days. He stressed the need to protect the Supreme Court's integrity, the authority of its decisions and society's trust in the institution.
De Moraes has not publicly commented on the allegations. Any formal investigation into a Supreme Court justice would require action by the court under Brazil's institutional procedures, leaving the controversy poised to become a major test for the judiciary as the country heads toward October's elections.