Gilmar Mendes Clashes with Mendonça at Brazil’s Supreme Court, Says ‘Even the Mafia Has Ethics’

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) held an extraordinary session on Tuesday (15) marked by clashes between justices. The session examined whether a Federal Police report on conversations between Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Banco Master’s former chairman, Daniel Vorcaro, justified opening a formal investigation against Moraes. The hearing put Gilmar Mendes and Mendonça face to face in one of the tensest clashes on the bench in recent months. The case is an offshoot of the Banco Master scandal, which OnTheNet has already covered in a summary of what is confirmed, alleged and debunked so far.

The Clash Between Gilmar Mendes and Mendonça

The Court’s most senior justice, Gilmar Mendes, harshly criticized how Justice André Mendonça, the case’s rapporteur, conducted the inquiry against Moraes. Gilmar described the process as marked by an “unmistakable political-electoral bias.” He also publicly questioned the source of the information leaks: “Who is the Republic’s general leaker?”

Gilmar Mendes argued that fellow justices should not be selectively exposed based on information obtained from third parties, even when somehow involved. He then stated: “Even the mafia has ethics. There needs to be decency.”

Mendonça fired back and accused his colleague of recklessness: “Your Excellency is being reckless, minister.” When Gilmar pointed his finger at him during the exchange, Mendonça responded: “Don’t point your finger at me.”

Fux Denies Any Relationship with Vorcaro

During the session, Justice Flávio Dino referenced alleged connections between other justices and Daniel Vorcaro. However, he backed off after being questioned. Justice Luiz Fux flatly denied any relationship with the former banker.

Session Ends Without a Ruling; Dino Requests More Time

Before the sharpest exchange, Justices Dias Toffoli and Kassio Nunes Marques had already recused themselves from the case. Toffoli cited grounds for suspicion, while Nunes Marques pointed to his role as head of the Superior Electoral Court and discomfort in judging a matter with potential political-electoral impact.

Amid the tension between Gilmar Mendes and Mendonça, the Court voted on a procedural question about merging the Moraes case with the Mendonça case. It passed 4 to 3, favoring Mendonça’s position. Even so, Flávio Dino requested more time to review the case, which suspends the analysis for up to 90 days before it returns to the docket. For background on the broader scandal, see OnTheNet’s About page.

As a result, the session ended without the full bench deciding whether the Federal Police findings are enough to open a formal investigation against Alexandre de Moraes. Chief Justice Edson Fachin has already signaled plans to schedule new sessions on the matter in the coming weeks.

The statements quoted in this article reflect remarks made by the justices themselves during the STF’s public session. The existence of an investigation into Alexandre de Moraes still depends on a decision by the full bench and does not, by itself, imply any conclusion about wrongdoing.