Moraes asks Fachin to investigate Mendonça for abuse of authority

A dispute between two Brazilian Supreme Court justices has escalated into a request for a formal investigation. Alexandre de Moraes asked Justice Edson Fachin to investigate André Mendonça over the handling of the Master and INSS case.

Moraes cited alleged abuse of authority, administrative misconduct and a crime of responsibility. He made the request within the fake-news inquiry, accusing Mendonça of directing the investigation and compromising judicial impartiality in favor of particular political groups.

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with a breach of judicial impartiality and favoritism toward certain political groups

According to Moraes, Mendonça improperly handled plea-bargain negotiations and directed certain targets toward investigation for “personal and political reasons, including the prior indication of precautionary measures” to be presented by the Federal Police. Those targets allegedly included Moraes himself and Senate President Davi Alcolumbre.

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for personal and political reasons, including the prior indication of precautionary measures

The move followed Mendonça’s decision two days earlier to lift the secrecy of a Federal Police report that identified Moraes as an interlocutor of former banker Daniel Vorcaro, the owner of Master. Mendonça had indicated that he would take to the full court the question of whether to investigate his colleague.

Moraes also pointed to what he called “growing indications of bias in the conduct of judicial oversight, shown by progressively intensified thematic direction of the designated investigative line,” as well as an alleged breach in the chain of custody of seized evidence.

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growing indications of bias in the conduct of judicial oversight, shown by progressively intensified thematic direction of the designated investigative line