SAO PAULO — Brazil's Supreme Court Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin ordered the cancellation and reconvened the court for Tuesday, a day when the court is not usually in session.

The scrutiny centers on documents unsealed by Justice André Mendonça on September 1 showing banker Daniel Vorcaro repeatedly sought legal advice from Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The unsealed documents contain roughly 30 text messages sent to a phone number associated with Alexandre de Moraes, allegedly from Vorcaro.

Alexandre de Moraes requested an inquiry into alleged abuse of power by André Mendonça for interviewing Vorcaro without the presence of police or prosecutors. André Mendonça was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Jair Bolsonaro and previously served as Bolsonaro's solicitor-general.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro are demanding investigations into Supreme Court justices. Suspicions of graft, political bias, and police interference loom over several Supreme Court members, with turmoil spilling into October's national elections.

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro called the probes attempted political interference ahead of the elections. He denied wrongdoing regarding the film funding, claiming he sought only private sponsorship for the film titled Dark Horse.

Why It Matters

The cancellation of two consecutive sessions reflects the severity of the institutional strain facing Brazil's highest court. With national elections approaching in October, the internal conflict among justices and external pressure from political leaders creates a volatile environment for the judiciary.

The case connects high-level judicial conduct with a massive financial scandal involving billions in lost funds. The outcome of the investigation into Justice Alexandre de Moraes could reshape the balance of power within the Supreme Court and influence the political landscape leading up to the vote.

Timeline

In January 2025, Alexandre de Moraes sentenced former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for an attempted coup. Vorcaro was arrested in November 2025 on accusations of defrauding investors of billions in lost funds related to Banco Master.

Justice André Mendonça unsealed federal police documents on September 1 showing banker Vorcaro repeatedly sought legal advice from Justice Alexandre de Moraes. On Thursday, Brazil's Supreme Court canceled a second consecutive session of deliberations. Also on Thursday, Brazilian police executed dozens of raids related to the Banco Master scandal, targeting figures involved in the film Dark Horse, including Karina Gama and Congressman Mario Frias. Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin ordered the cancellation and reconvened the court for Tuesday.

What's New

Later reporting revealed that the unsealed documents contain roughly 30 text messages sent to a phone number associated with Alexandre de Moraes, allegedly from Vorcaro.

He also denied wrongdoing regarding the film funding, claiming he sought only private sponsorship for the film titled Dark Horse. Records show the collapse of Banco Master’s private banking arm left behind more than $7 billion in debt.

Background information indicates Alexandre de Moraes was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Michel Temer in 2017 while serving as Minister of Justice and Public Security. He is a Brazilian jurist, lawyer, politician and Justice of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) since 2017. A May report by Intercept Brasil stated that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro petitioned Vorcaro for funds to finance a film about his father.

How Sources Differ

There is also a discrepancy regarding the procedural complaints. The Federal Police of Brazil case file focuses on the content of the communications, stating the unsealed documents contain roughly 30 text messages sent to a phone number associated with Alexandre de Moraes, allegedly from Vorcaro.