Brazil's Supreme Court is experiencing an institutional crisis as two of its most prominent justices, Alexandre de Moraes and André Mendonça, have requested major sanctions against each other.
This animosity stems from a federal investigation into alleged financial fraud surrounding the collapsed Banco Master and its owner, Daniel Vorcaro. The probe has also implicated some politicians ahead of the October elections.
Mendonça, the court's first evangelical member appointed by former President Jair Bolsonaro, reportedly wants de Moraes suspended while the court considers whether he should be investigated in a potential graft case. De Moraes, who led the case that imprisoned Bolsonaro last year, is seeking an investigation into Mendonça, potentially leading to impeachment by the Senate, for conducting an unauthorized proceeding.
Recent revelations have intensified the scrutiny on de Moraes. Mendonça unsealed parts of a federal police investigation that included intercepted messages from Vorcaro seeking advice from de Moraes. Further pressure mounted after federal police found de Moraes' wife had provided legal services to Banco Master as part of a substantial contract. Presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, who has also faced scrutiny in the Banco Master scandal, publicly urged de Moraes to resign.
The crisis escalated when Brazilian media reported that Mendonca had privately met with Vorcaro. Mendonca stated he was merely listening to the bank owner's concerns, a practice he claimed to have extended to other Supreme Court members discussing similar matters. He also confirmed a more recent meeting with Vorcaro, during which he questioned the jailed banker without authorization from the full court, a procedure required when investigating a fellow justice. Mendonca asserted he acted because Vorcaro claimed mistreatment by police, an accusation already dismissed by Brazil's attorney general.
In response, de Moraes requested the court's Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin to investigate Mendonca's conduct, labeling it politically motivated and suggesting an impeachable offense occurred due to the secretive interview. While the Senate holds the authority to impeach justices, numerous impeachment requests have been filed against de Moraes, with fewer against Mendonca.
Late Friday, Mendonca also asked Fachin to suspend de Moraes, citing the week's revelations. Chief Justice Fachin announced he would seek clarifications from de Moraes, Mendonça, Attorney General Paulo Gonet, and federal police director Andrei Rodrigues. At a ceremony attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who urged thorough investigations, Fachin stated that "the institutions of the Republic must be preserved, overall in moments of the biggest tension."