President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva hosted Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) Justice Gilmar Mendes at the Planalto Palace in Brasília on Tuesday afternoon (Sept 1) to address the crisis at Brazil's top court triggered by the release of text messages between Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Daniel Vorcaro, a banker tied to Banco Master. The meeting was not listed on the official presidential agenda.
According to sources heard by InfoMoney, Lula voiced concern about damage to the court's institutional image and said the tribunal must be spared further wear. The presidential communications office, Secom, was contacted and did not comment, and Mendes did not respond. For Folha de S.Paulo, Gilmar's message was a warning about what he calls a lack of support from government institutions for the Federal Police leadership. The warning came amid a standoff between Federal Police chief Andrei Rodrigues and Justice André Mendonça over the running of the Banco Master investigation. Mendonça ordered the police report that exposed the exchanges between Moraes and Vorcaro.
The messages were made public on Tuesday at Mendonça's order; he is the case's rapporteur at the court. According to the Federal Police, as reported by G1, Vorcaro allegedly offered the justice million-real contracts, luxury experiences and a trip to London, and the two allegedly met eight times. In one message, sent on November 15, 2025, Vorcaro asked Moraes whether he had to leave the country. The question came two days before the banker's first arrest on suspicion of fraud.
Lula keeps his distance from Moraes
Lula also spoke with court President Edson Fachin about the scandal on Tuesday, Folha reported. The president and his political group are marking distance from Moraes, an ally in recent years, to keep the case from hurting his reelection bid ahead of the October presidential vote. On Wednesday morning (2), Lula settled with allies on the line that "nobody is above the law". PT president and campaign coordinator Edinho Silva had already used the phrase and posted a video saying "the system has rotted". Lula is expected to address the matter only when asked in interviews.
In the Senate, Flávio Bolsonaro, Lula's main rival in the presidential race, demanded that Senate President Davi Alcolumbre bring an impeachment request against Moraes to the floor. Alcolumbre has ruled that out for now. Allies of the president privately distrust Mendonça's moves and speak of "selectivity". One justice, also speaking off the record, described a "tense" climate at the court, which is split between a wing closer to Moraes and one closer to Mendonça.
What comes next
Mendonça intends to take the matter to the full court, according to InfoMoney. Fachin said he will review the facts and announce measures in the coming days. The court held its first session since the messages were released on Wednesday, with the case off the agenda.