Imprisoned banker's messages expose relationship with Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes
Federal Police report reveals proximity between minister Alexandre de Moraes and Daniel Vorcaro, detained for fraud. Case threatens the judiciary and could affect presidential elections.
Federal Police report shakes Supreme Court with links between Moraes and banker detained for fraud
Messages disclosed in a report by the Brazilian Federal Police, and revealed by CNN Portugal, expose a marked proximity between Alexandre de Moraes, minister of the Supreme Federal Court, and Daniel Vorcaro, a banker imprisoned for leading one of the largest fraud and corruption schemes in Brazil's history. The relationship between the two may have profound consequences for the judiciary and the electoral calendar.
In December 2025, journalist Malu Gaspar of the newspaper O Globo had already revealed that Viviane Barci de Moraes, the magistrate's wife, maintained a contract worth 129 million reais — more than 21 million euros — with Master Bank. The amount was considered above market standard by lawyers consulted by Brazilian media outlets and by CNN Portugal.
The new Federal Police report adds details about this contract. The document was discussed between the parties still in 2024, having been edited in January of that year by Alexandre de Moraes himself. On 15 March, Vorcaro sent messages to an employee of the financial institution demanding that there be no delays in the monthly payment of three million reais — approximately 500,000 euros. "It is the most important payment we have," the banker wrote.
To another interlocutor, Vorcaro requested that the contract remain confidential. When questioned about his intentions, he replied: "Nobody to have access. You take [the contract] and don't let anybody have access to this."
Months later, he returned to the matter with the same employee, this time because payments to the law office were in arrears. "They haven't paid Barci de Moraes, I don't understand this. Most important contract we have, I asked you not to fail. Surreal, we're going to have problems," he wrote.
Barci de Moraes's law office declared to Folha de São Paulo that the compliance department, "as it does in other similar cases," consulted Alexandre de Moraes — in his capacity as husband of the managing partner — about any potential legal impediments. The office emphasised that "minister Alexandre de Moraes never judged any case involving Master Bank" and that, there being no impediment, "the contract was signed and the legal services duly provided."
Requests for intervention with Federal Police and Public Prosecutor's Office
The messages extracted from Vorcaro's mobile telephone also show that the banker arranged meetings with Moraes on various occasions. According to the investigation, he even went so far as to request that the magistrate intervene on his behalf with Paulo Gonet, attorney-general of the Republic, and Andrei Rodrigues, director of the Federal Police.
"It is important to reinforce with Andrei and Paulo not to let anyone below do something dirty that will screw everything up. I'm available to discuss and explain anything, just can't be dirty business," he wrote. On the same day, he stated he was aware, through Central Bank members, that the Federal Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office were conducting investigations against him.
On 17 November 2025, Vorcaro was detained by the Federal Police as he was preparing to leave the country on a private flight. Two days earlier, however, he already appeared to know he could be arrested. "By Monday I need to be out?" he asked Alexandre de Moraes, according to the report. The following day, he asked whether the Federal Police director would be capable of postponing the precautionary measures. Hours before being detained, he contacted the judge again: "Did you manage to get any information or block it?", he enquired.
Supreme Court divided over investigation of its own member
André Mendonça, the judge responsible for requesting the report from the Federal Police, asked that the case be analysed by the full bench of the Supreme Court. Only with the tribunal's authorisation will it be possible to formally open an investigation against one of its ministers.
According to Estadão, there is uncertainty about the outcome of a possible vote. Luís Fux is expected to vote alongside the reporting judge; Gilmar Mendes, Flávio Dino and Cristiano Zanin are likely to align with Moraes. Cármen Lúcia, Fachin, Dias Toffoli and Kassio Nunes Marques are considered unknowns, whose voting intention will depend on internal discussions.
There is also concern that the scandal will cast doubt on proceedings that judged those responsible for the attempted coup d'état. Flávio Bolsonaro, Romeu Zema and Renan Santos — all presidential candidates — have already publicly demanded the minister's resignation.
Paulo Gonet, for his part, requested the annulment of the report's information, arguing it is an investigation of a Supreme Court member without the tribunal's authorisation. The attorney-general of the Republic himself maintained relations with Vorcaro, according to investigations: he is said to have received a trip to London for a whisky tasting — in which the Federal Police director also participated — and even said he was missing the banker.
Source: CNN Portugal