Brazil’s Supreme Court shuts down early as political chaos mounts

Brazil’s top court halted its deliberations for a second day as infighting among justices intensified after one member released police files that appear to link a jailed banker to another justice. Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin postponed the bench until Tuesday, a rare move that underscored the severity of the dispute. The controversy traces back to September 1, when Justice Andre Mendonca authorized the unsealing of federal police documents containing roughly 30 text messages allegedly sent by Banco Master head Daniel Vorcaro to a phone number tied to Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Mendonca, who was appointed by Jair Bolsonaro, has since faced accusations from de Moraes that he abused his authority for political ends. De Moraes, who has presided over high-profile cases including actions against former President Jair Bolsonaro and suspensions of platforms such as X and Rumble, has asked for an inquiry into whether Mendonca interviewed Vorcaro without police or prosecutors present. The whole court will convene with ten justices to decide if de Moraes himself should be investigated over the messages. The dispute is an offshoot of the wider Banco Master scandal: Vorcaro was arrested in November 2025 on allegations he defrauded investors, and the bank’s private unit left behind more than $7bn in liabilities. The unfolding probes have drawn in politicians across the spectrum; in May an Intercept Brasil report linked Senator Flavio Bolsonaro to requests for funds from Vorcaro for a film project, and recent police raids targeted people tied to that production. With lawmakers and presidential candidates calling for investigations, and police carrying out dozens of raids related to the case, the court’s internal confrontation adds another layer of instability at a moment when Brazil is approaching critical national elections in October.