The top brass of Congress and the center act to shield the minister from the (Supreme Federal Court) and contain the discussion about impeachment for involvement in the case – the minister admitted to being a partner in the company Maridt, which sold its stake in the Tayayá resort to a fund linked to .
The revelation of a PF document () delivered to the president of the STF, Edson Fachin, on Monday (9) with messages from Vorcaro that mention Toffoli and a payment to the minister’s company raised tension behind the scenes this Thursday (12), with exchanges of calls and messages between Toffoli and party leaders.
In these phone calls, according to reports made to Sheetpoliticians sought to reassure the minister and stated that Congress will not take any initiative to investigate him or pressure him to leave office. Toffoli is one of the ministers with the greatest political dialogue and frequently participates in dinners, parties and meetings with parliamentarians, not just in Brasília.
Presidents of centrão parties criticize the “selective leakage” of information against politicians and STF ministers and the “pre-judgment” of Toffoli by public opinion, with pressure for him to leave the rapporteur of the case against Banco Master in the STF and even step down from his position.
This Thursday, the Novo party filed a request for the minister’s impeachment. The decision to authorize the start of the trial process by , however, is made by the president of Congress, (-AP), who is an ally of Toffoli and completely ruled out adopting this initiative, in conversation with allies.
The minister asked him to leave the report on the investigation process against the Master and, in a note, stated that he never knew who was the manager of the fund at the resort and that he “never had any friendly relationship, much less an intimate friendship, with the investigated Daniel Vorcaro”.
According to reports from politicians, there is concern among the leadership of Congress and parties in the center with what they consider “sensationalism” regarding the PF report. They spent the morning discussing a position to defend that there is no pre-judgment against the minister and that complaints follow due legal process.
Alcolumbre and the president of , (-PB), are in contact with party presidents to understand the extent of the crisis. Some of the politicians who spoke with them even suggested directing a CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) into the PF, to investigate the leaks.
In conversations, according to reports made to Sheetparty leaders claim that the PF has carried out selective investigations and disclosed confidential information to the press with the aim of harming politicians opposing the Lula (PT) government.
The branch of investigations involving the Master, such as investigating fraud in public servants’ pension funds and the investigation into the attempted sale to BRB (Banco de Brasília), however, is seen by them as an obstacle to curbing the political crisis.
Among Bolsonaro politicians, the episode reinforced criticism and attacks aimed at the STF, in addition to giving rise to several demonstrations on the networks in favor of Toffoli’s impeachment.
The assessment of members of the ideological right is that the PF investigation aims to overthrow Toffoli, which would open space for President Lula (PT) to appoint a new STF minister this year. Other wings of opposition to the PT, however, view this hypothesis with more suspicion.
Given the resistance of the Congress leadership to take on projects and requests for impeachment that target the Supreme Court, the parliamentarians’ strategy is to foment social pressure.
The leader of Novo in the Chamber, deputy Marcel Van Hattem (RS), stated that if the authorities do not act as determined by law, they should act based on social pressure.
Senator Eduardo Girão (Novo-CE) stated that there is an unprecedented moral crisis in the country and recalled that Toffoli launched the fake news investigation in 2019, without being provoked.
“The Senate of the Republic can no longer remain silent in the face of what is happening, the Senate needs to act because it is co-responsible,” he said.
