STF Justice André Mendonça Confirms Meeting with Ex-Banker Daniel Vorcaro Amid Scandal

Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça confirmed on Wednesday that he met with former banker Daniel Vorcaro, the owner of the liquidated Banco Master, in March 2025. The confirmation follows the release of a Federal Police report, which Mendonça himself made public, revealing ties between Vorcaro and another Supreme Court Justice, Alexandre de Moraes. In a statement from his office, Mendonça said he met Vorcaro once and also met his lawyer, Ciro Soares, to discuss a specific court case regarding court ordered payments known as precatórios. Mendonça asserted that he only listened to the arguments and that his eventual judicial ruling was contrary to the interests of the businessman.

Leaked messages and audio obtained by ICL Notícias and confirmed by other outlets suggest a more coordinated approach. The messages indicate that lawyer Ciro Soares and Federal Deputy Cezinha de Madureira helped arrange the meetings. In one audio clip, Soares told Vorcaro that Mendonça knew about the situation with the Central Bank and wanted to receive him. Another message mentioned a meeting with the justice at a tailor shop in February 2025. Mendonça declined to comment on private dialogues between third parties, stating his actions are guided by legality and impersonality.

The broader scandal involves Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is accused in the Federal Police report of maintaining a close relationship with Vorcaro. The report suggests Vorcaro asked Moraes to intervene to stop investigations into Banco Master and to help him avoid a preventive arrest warrant. Other allegations include Moraes helping Vorcaro organize an exclusive event in London in April 2024 and the existence of a 131 million reais contract between Vorcaro and the law firm of Moraes' wife. Attorney General Paulo Gonet has requested the annulment of the police report, accusing Mendonça of using the police to improperly investigate a colleague.

Political pressure is mounting as the Supreme Court decides whether to open a formal investigation into Justice Moraes. President Lula has faced calls to speak on the matter, while some of his allies and political opponents, including Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, have called for investigations or the resignation of Moraes. Meanwhile, Daniel Vorcaro continues to seek a plea bargain agreement, although the Federal Police and the Attorney General's Office have previously denied such requests due to a lack of new information and guarantees regarding the return of 60 billion reais.