Brazil’s electoral court blocks Arruda’s bid for governor of the Federal District

Brazil’s Federal District electoral court blocked José Roberto Arruda’s candidacy for governor, prompting the former governor to promise an appeal to the Superior Electoral Court.

Arruda governed the Federal District from 2007 to 2010 and became a central figure in the DEM monthly-payments scandal. He was arrested and convicted in cases stemming from Operation Caixa de Pandora, launched in 2009 after he was filmed receiving a bundle of money.

The case concerns a 2025 congressional change to Brazil’s Clean Record Law. The amendment limited ineligibility to 12 years when a candidate has more than one conviction. Arruda has been convicted seven times, with the first conviction issued in 2014. His defense argues that the relevant starting date is July 21, 2014, when the first collective conviction linked to Operation Caixa de Pandora was published, meaning his ineligibility ended on July 21, 2022.

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I will file an appeal with the TSE, the campaign does not stop. I have thick skin. I love Brasília and I will not accept being defeated at the negotiating table. I want the people of Brasília to have the right to choose their governor by voting.

The TRE-DF rapporteur, Judge Guilherme Pupe, disagreed. He said five of the convictions were connected, making the ineligibility period longer than 12 years and not yet expired. Judge Asiel Henrique said he had reached a different number of related cases but joined the rapporteur’s vote without specifying the figure. The Electoral Public Prosecutor’s Office said Arruda could only run again from 2030.

Arruda said the campaign would continue and rejected what he called a defeat “at the negotiating table.” “I will file an appeal with the TSE, the campaign does not stop. I have thick skin. I love Brasília and I will not accept being defeated at the negotiating table. I want the people of Brasília to have the right to choose their governor by voting,” he said. The Supreme Federal Court is due to resume consideration of the amended Clean Record Law on Sept. 11. In a Datafolha poll, Governor Celina Leão had 30% support, Arruda 28%, and Leandro Grass 11%, with a three-point margin of error.

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Establish a clear setback from what had been established as an instrument to guarantee republican principles, administrative probity and public morality.