STF President Edson Fachin Intervenes in Conflict Between Justices Moraes and Mendonça
6 sources · Brazil
Who reported this
- G1
- UOL
- CNN Brasil
- Folha de S.Paulo
- Estadao
- Gazeta do Povo
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Supreme Court President Edson Fachin has removed a request for investigation against Justice André Mendonça from the fake news inquiry, placing it into a separate procedure under his own relatorship. The move follows a sharp escalation between Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Justice Mendonça. Fachin has granted the Prosecutor General's Office (PGR) five days to comment on the admissibility and regularity of Moraes' request, after which Mendonça will have five days to respond. This action comes as Fachin publicly stated that the current crisis demonstrates the urgency of ending the long running fake news inquiry and adopting a code of ethics for the court.
The conflict began when Justice Mendonça lifted the secrecy of a Federal Police (PF) report detailing messages and meetings between Justice Moraes and Daniel Vorcaro, the former owner of Banco Master. The report suggests Vorcaro sought to influence investigations into the bank. In response, Justice Moraes requested an investigation into Mendonça, accusing him of administrative improbity, abuse of authority, and crimes of responsibility. Moraes alleges that Mendonça used his position as relator in the Master and INSS cases to target political opponents, including Moraes himself and Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, for personal and political reasons.
Legal validity of the evidence is a central point of contention. Center and center left reports highlight that the PF intelligence reports used by Moraes are restricted documents without probative value and cannot serve as formal evidence in a trial. Meanwhile, the PGR, led by Paulo Gonet, has argued that the investigation conducted by Mendonça was null because it proceeded without a request from the Public Ministry. Justice Moraes has further alleged that Mendonça bypassed police protocols by accessing raw data to select targets, while Mendonça maintains that the evidence of Moraes' relationship with Vorcaro warrants a plenary review.
Political reactions have been polarized. Center right reports emphasize that opposition lawmakers view Moraes' request as a retaliatory measure and an abuse of power to intimidate a colleague. Conversely, center left reports indicate that allies of Senate President Davi Alcolumbre are considering an impeachment request against Justice Mendonça, arguing that the PF reports prove Mendonça acted partially to target the Senate leader.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Highlighted the potential for a Senate impeachment against Mendonça and Fachin's desire to end the fake news inquiry.
- Centre
- Focused on the procedural steps taken by Justice Fachin and the legal arguments regarding the validity of the PF reports.
- Centre-right
- Framed the event as a retaliatory strike by Moraes and emphasized the specific contents of the messages between Moraes and the banker.
Sources
- Centre CNN Brasil: Fachin gives 5 days for PGR and Mendonça to respond to Moraes
- Centre CNN Brasil: End of fake news inquiry enters the equation to resolve crisis in the STF
- Centre CNN Brasil: Fachin withdraws request to investigate Mendonça from fake news inquiry
- Centre CNN Brasil: Understand the crisis in the STF: what Moraes, Mendonça, Fachin and Gonet say
- Centre-right Estadao: Fachin removes investigation of Mendonça requested by Moraes from fake news inquiry
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Fachin removes Moraes' request for investigation against Mendonça from fake news inquiry
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Moraes uses apocryphal PF document without probative value against André Mendonça
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Senators should request impeachment of Mendonça based on Moraes report
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Fachin defends end of fake news inquiry
- Centre-left G1: Fachin needs to propose some type of punishment for Moraes and Mendonça, say interlocutors of the STF president
- Centre-left G1: Fachin promises end of fake news inquiry, under reporting of Moraes since 2019
- Centre-left G1: Amidst 'Master crisis' in the STF, Fachin says facts are being investigated and that no authority is above the Constitution
- Centre-right Gazeta do Povo: Fachin defends end of fake news inquiry amidst clash between Moraes and Mendonça
- Centre-right Gazeta do Povo: Lawmakers criticize Alexandre de Moraes' decision against André Mendonça
- Centre-right Gazeta do Povo: Fachin removes Moraes' offensive against Mendonça from fake news inquiry and orders PGR to manifest
- Centre-right Gazeta do Povo: Alexandre de Moraes requests investigation against André Mendonça at STF
- Centre-right Gazeta do Povo: Opposition tries to annul judgments of Bolsonaro and January 8 with revelations about Moraes
- Centre-left UOL: Fachin removes investigation request against Mendonça from inquiry reported by Moraes
- Centre-left UOL: Senators should request impeachment of Mendonça based on Moraes report
- Centre-left UOL: Fachin defends end of fake news inquiry
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