Key facts
- Brazil's Supreme Court will hold a hearing on Tuesday to decide whether to investigate Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
- Moraes leads investigations into a coup plot that convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and allies.
- Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro's son, is seeking to link Moraes to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
- Justice Andre Mendonca released a report alleging Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro sent text messages to Moraes.
- A law firm owned by Moraes' wife had a $24 million consulting contract with Banco Master.
- Banco Master was liquidated by the central bank in November 2025.
Brazil's Supreme Court is scheduled to hold an unprecedented hearing on Tuesday to determine whether to investigate one of its most prominent justices, Alexandre de Moraes. Moraes has gained national recognition for leading investigations into a coup plot that resulted in convictions of former President Jair Bolsonaro and his associates.
The case has become a significant issue in the ongoing presidential election campaign, with right-wing candidate Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the former president's son, attempting to associate Moraes with the current leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Concerns about Moraes' conduct surfaced when Justice Andre Mendonca disclosed a federal police report two weeks prior, indicating that Daniel Vorcaro, the proprietor of the defunct Banco Master, had sent multiple text messages to Moraes, some referencing a potential escape strategy. Court documents reveal that a law firm associated with Moraes' wife held a $24 million consulting agreement with Banco Master, which was liquidated by the central bank in November 2025. Vorcaro was apprehended in March.
Moraes has refuted any misconduct and has accused Mendonca, who was appointed by former President Bolsonaro, of overstepping his authority by releasing the information. Chief Justice Edson Fachin has slated a separate hearing to address these accusations for the following week.
The Banco Master case has been a source of turmoil in Brazil for months, with a series of leaks exposing Vorcaro's extensive network of influence and causing embarrassment to prominent national figures during an election year, including Senator Bolsonaro himself. Last week, in an effort to mitigate the crisis within the court, Fachin ordered the unsealing of related proceedings, revealing that the right-wing presidential candidate is also under investigation for alleged money laundering and corruption connected to the bank. Senator Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing, stating his interactions with Vorcaro were personal and related to Vorcaro's involvement in financing a film about his father.
While Tuesday's hearing is expected to clarify some of the repercussions of the Banco Master case within the court, individuals familiar with the justices' deliberations indicated that immediate rulings are unlikely, as some justices are anticipated to raise objections that could postpone the proceedings.