Brazil's Top Court in Crisis as Justice Removes Federal Police Chief

SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian Supreme Court justice removed the director of the country's federal police and the force's intelligence chief from their positions on Tuesday, intensifying an already serious crisis within the nation's top court and pulling President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government into the conflict ahead of October national elections. Justice André Mendonca, who was appointed to the court by former President Jair Bolsonaro, issued the ruling against federal police Director-General Andrei Rodrigues — a Lula appointee — and intelligence director Leandro Almada. Mendonca stated that the two men led an organization that allegedly produced six illegal reports targeting his activities through the end of August. Mendonca currently oversees two politically charged investigations: one examining the collapse of Banco Master, which has implicated several politicians, and another looking into alleged fraud within Brazil's pension system. The Banco Master probe has primarily affected figures from the political opposition, while the pension fraud investigation has raised questions about possible wrongdoing connected to one of Lula's sons. Brazil's government did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment on whether it plans to challenge the ruling. William Marcel Murad, the federal police's executive director, issued a statement saying the director-general retains the force's 'full confidence' and that agents 'will not be shaken by attacks.' Lula is running for reelection in October against Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of the former president, who is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence at home following his conviction for an attempted coup. Mendonca's move to oust the federal police chief is the latest development in a major confrontation between him and fellow Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who sentenced Bolsonaro to prison last year. Last week, Mendonca unsealed federal police documents revealing that Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro had frequently sought de Moraes' legal counsel before his arrest. De Moraes had previously denied any improper relationship with Vorcaro, though his wife had provided legal services to Banco Master under a contract worth 130 million reais — approximately $25 million. Since Mendonca unsealed those documents last week, de Moraes has faced mounting pressure from politicians, journalists, and legal experts to step down. He has not yet made any public statements about the matter. Brazil's major news outlets reported last week that Mendonca was pursuing a suspension of de Moraes from the court while it considers whether he should face a formal investigation in the potential corruption case. De Moraes responded with his own ruling, arguing that Mendonca should be investigated by the court and possibly impeached by the Senate for conducting an interview with Vorcaro in August without federal police agents or prosecutors present. On Monday, Brazil's Independence Day, tens of thousands of supporters of opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro packed a major thoroughfare in Sao Paulo, with many in the crowd demanding de Moraes' removal from the bench. Demonstrators displayed a large inflatable likeness of Justice Mendonca and wore shirts expressing their support for him.