Government crisis over Andrei’s removal lands on Messias, putting his Supreme Court prospects further away

The crisis that erupted after Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça removed Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues has landed on Attorney General Jorge Messias. Hours after the decision, government ministers openly expressed dissatisfaction with Messias’s handling of the matter.

Some officials believe the crisis grew because Messias did not restrain Mendonça’s actions when the Federal Police asked him to do so. Their dissatisfaction began as Mendonça’s decisions increasingly irritated the police organization, but Messias chose not to challenge them despite Andrei’s requests.

Mendonça is regarded as a strong ally of Messias and openly supported his appointment to the Supreme Court. That connection has now become part of the political fallout. Even Messias’s allies see a new nomination for him to the court as more distant.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had already been discussing the possibility of nominating appeals court judge Ricardo Couto before resubmitting Messias’s name. Government officials believe Lula could still put forward Messias because of his personal regard for him, but they consider a delay inevitable.