Brazil’s Supreme Court has halted its proceedings for a second consecutive day as an increasingly bitter dispute among its justices becomes entangled with allegations of corruption, political influence and interference in police investigations.
Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin called off Thursday’s sitting and directed the court to resume its work on Tuesday. Such cancellations are uncommon at Brazil’s highest court and come amid growing tensions between members of the bench.
The latest dispute was triggered on September 1 after Justice Andre Mendonca authorised the release of documents from a federal police investigation involving Daniel Vorcaro, the former head of Banco Master.
The documents reportedly include about 30 messages allegedly sent by Vorcaro to a telephone number linked to Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Their disclosure has raised questions about the relationship between the banker and the influential judge.
Moraes has become one of Brazil’s most prominent and controversial judicial figures. He headed proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro after prosecutors accused the right-wing politician of involvement in an alleged coup plot following his defeat in the 2022 election. He has also ordered restrictions against social media platforms, including X and Rumble, over alleged failures to comply with court directives, making him a frequent target of criticism from Bolsonaro supporters.
Moraes has rejected Mendonca’s handling of the documents and accused his fellow justice, who was appointed by Bolsonaro, of using his position for political purposes. He has also sought an investigation into whether Mendonca questioned Vorcaro without police or prosecutors present.
Tuesday’s meeting is expected to bring together the full 11-member Supreme Court. Ten justices will consider whether Moraes should face an investigation over the communications allegedly exchanged with Vorcaro. The controversy is linked to the wider Banco Master scandal. Vorcaro was arrested in November 2025 over allegations that he defrauded investors of billions of dollars. The collapse of the bank’s private banking operations reportedly left debts exceeding $7 billion.
The financial scandal has since expanded into the political arena, drawing the attention of lawmakers from different sides of Brazil’s political divide. The dispute within the Supreme Court comes at a particularly sensitive moment, with Brazil preparing for general elections in October. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is expected to seek another term, while Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of Jair Bolsonaro, is emerging as a major challenger.
Both Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro have backed calls for investigations into members of the Supreme Court.
The Bolsonaro family has itself faced scrutiny over its alleged links to the Banco Master affair. A report published by Intercept Brasil in May said Flavio Bolsonaro had approached Vorcaro seeking financial backing for a film about his father, titled Dark Horse.
Flavio has denied any wrongdoing, saying his approach to Vorcaro was simply an attempt to secure private sponsorship for the production. The scandal took another turn on Thursday when Brazilian police conducted dozens of raids as part of the Banco Master investigation. Among those targeted were Karina Gama, who heads a production company involved in the film, and Congressman Mario Frias, who served as its executive producer.
Flavio Bolsonaro has described the investigations as an attempt to interfere politically with him and his allies ahead of the elections.
The widening controversy now threatens to deepen divisions within Brazil’s political and judicial institutions, with the Supreme Court’s internal conflict unfolding just weeks before voters head to the polls.
