Brazil’s Supreme Court faces deepening crisis as two judges clash

Tuesday 15 September 2026 - 20:45

Brazil’s Supreme Court is facing an unprecedented internal crisis as a bitter confrontation between two of its judges unfolds less than three weeks before the country’s October presidential election.

The dispute, which emerged from a major financial scandal, has increasingly spilled into the political campaign. The election is shaping up as a contest between incumbent left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.

The two judges at the center of the dispute, Alexandre de Moraes and André Mendonça, confronted the issue during a Supreme Court plenary session that opened Tuesday. Court President Edson Fachin, speaking at the start of the hearing broadcast live on television, acknowledged that the institution was going through “a difficult period” in its history.

A dispute rooted in the Banco Master scandal

The confrontation intensified two weeks ago after Mendonça made public a police report containing messages allegedly sent by banker Daniel Vorcaro, the head of Banco Master, to a telephone number attributed to Moraes.

The messages, dated November 2025, appear to show Vorcaro seeking assistance to slow down an investigation that subsequently led to his arrest. The case has been described as one of the largest financial fraud scandals in Brazil’s history.

Moraes responded by accusing Mendonça of abusing his authority, turning a financial investigation into a highly sensitive institutional dispute within the country’s highest court.

Moraes, a major target of Bolsonaro supporters

At 57, Alexandre de Moraes has become one of the most influential and controversial figures in Brazil’s judiciary.

He has overseen several politically explosive cases in recent years. In 2024, he ordered the suspension of X in Brazil for 40 days after the social media platform failed to comply with court orders linked to disinformation. Elon Musk subsequently attacked Moraes publicly, comparing him to Voldemort and calling him a dictator, as did Jair Bolsonaro and his son.

Moraes also presided over the case that resulted in Bolsonaro being sentenced last year to 27 years in prison for attempting to stage a coup.

In 2023, while heading Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court, Moraes played a central role in the decision declaring Jair Bolsonaro ineligible for political office over abuse of power.

Initially appointed to the Supreme Court in 2017 by center-right President Michel Temer, for whom he had served as justice minister, Moraes was initially criticized by Brazil’s left. His stance against Bolsonaro later earned him strong support from that political camp.

The judge has also become a target of the administration of US President Donald Trump, which imposed financial sanctions on him over his role in Bolsonaro’s prosecution. Washington later lifted those sanctions, prompting Moraes to publicly thank Lula for his diplomatic efforts.

Yet the Banco Master revelations have complicated that political alignment. Lula has taken a cautious but firm position, saying that if Moraes is found responsible, he must face the consequences.

Mendonça and his strong ties to the conservative camp

André Mendonça, 53, is a Presbyterian pastor and former justice minister under Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro appointed him to the Supreme Court in 2021, fulfilling his pledge to bring an openly evangelical figure into Brazil’s highest court.

During the confirmation process, Mendonça assured senators that he would uphold the country’s secular principles.

His approval by the Senate was followed by an emotional prayer with then-first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, herself an evangelical Christian and an influential figure among Brazil’s conservatives.

Michelle Bolsonaro has recently described Mendonça as an “elect of the Lord,” joining a broader conservative campaign of support for the judge in his confrontation with Moraes.

Supreme Court tensions enter the election campaign

The dispute is unfolding against the backdrop of an increasingly polarized presidential campaign.

On September 7, Brazil’s Independence Day, an inflatable figure depicting Mendonça was displayed during an anti-Moraes demonstration in São Paulo, where Flavio Bolsonaro was present.

With the presidential election approaching, the confrontation between the two Supreme Court judges has therefore become more than an internal judicial dispute. It is now intertwined with Brazil’s political divisions, the legacy of Jair Bolsonaro and a major financial investigation that threatens to further test the credibility and cohesion of the country’s highest court.