Brazil Chief Justice to Meet Federal Police Over Supreme Court Scandal
Chief Justice Edson Fachin will meet with Federal Police on October 13 to address references to Supreme Court justices found on a seized phone in a $2 billion banking scandal.
The president of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, Chief Justice Edson Fachin, has scheduled a high-stakes meeting with Federal Police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues for October 13, 2026. The meeting will address highly sensitive reports detailing references to sitting Supreme Court justices found on the seized phone of Daniel Vorcaro, the former controlling owner of collapsed lender Banco Master.
The development marks a critical escalation in a sprawling financial fraud and money laundering scandal that has shaken Brazil's highest judicial and political institutions. Vorcaro was arrested by the Federal Police in March 2026 in connection with an alleged 12 billion reais ($2 billion) fraud scheme that led to the central bank's extrajudicial liquidation of Banco Master. Following his arrest, investigators analyzing Vorcaro's mobile phone discovered messages, payment registries, and contacts mentioning at least six of the court's active justices or their close relatives.
In an official letter sent to the Federal Police, Chief Justice Fachin demanded a complete and transparent accounting of all evidence involving members of the court, emphasizing that any findings must be sent directly to his office rather than individual judicial chambers. Fachin stated there is an "unequivocal institutional interest" in ensuring that every relevant fact is rigorously investigated, "without exception of any nature" or person. Being mentioned in the seized messages does not automatically imply a justice is under formal investigation, but the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor-General’s Office must now evaluate whether the evidence warrants opening formal inquiries.
The Banco Master scandal has injected severe political volatility into Brazil's public sphere. Federal Police investigations have revealed frequent communications between Vorcaro and right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Seized records indicate negotiations where Vorcaro allegedly agreed to transfer millions of dollars to finance a biographical film about Jair Bolsonaro, leading to a federal money laundering and currency evasion probe targeting the senator. The political fallout has also touched the left, with recent media reports detailing messages from defense lawyers mentioning symbolic gifts and friendly exchanges with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The institutional crisis has triggered internal warfare within the Supreme Court itself. In September, Justice Alexandre de Moraes—whose wife's law firm reportedly held a major contract with Banco Master—demanded the lifting of secrecy on Vorcaro's payment networks. This followed a bitter dispute with Justice André Mendonça, who was accused of abusing his authority while overseeing the initial phases of the Banco Master case. Chief Justice Fachin has temporarily suspended the active cases under Mendonça until the full court can rule on which justice is legally fit to preside over the sprawling investigation.