Former governor says he will appeal after TSE forms a majority due to ineligibility and challenges the Court’s decision
The former governor of Rio de Janeiro, (PL), stated that he always acted “legally” and said he will appeal after a majority is formed for . In a statement released after the trial at X, the head of the Rio de Janeiro Executive contested the decision and defended the conduct of his administration.
“I am fully convinced that I have always governed Rio de Janeiro within the law, with responsibility and absolute commitment to the population. I receive with great nonconformity the decision that, today, goes against the sovereign will of the almost 5 million voters from Rio de Janeiro who entrusted me with the mandate of governor in the 1st round of the 2022 elections.”
According to the former governor, the case analyzed by the Electoral Court involves questions about facts prior to the 2022 election. The TSE formed a majority to declare Castro’s ineligibility, in a process that reverses the understanding of the Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro, which had recognized that the accusations had no impact on the results of the elections.
At the demonstration, Castro said he respected the court and the progress of the process, but reinforced that the accusations did not influence his victory at the polls. According to him, the State’s TRE itself had already recognized this assessment when judging the case previously. The president of the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, (União Brasil) is also ineligible.
“After obtaining access to the ruling, I intend to appeal and fight until the last instance to reestablish what I consider to be a fair outcome for this case.”
UNDERSTAND
The trial was resumed in the TSE plenary with the vote of minister Nunes Marques, who had requested a view. He condemned it by stating that there was no impact of the conduct on the electoral process and mentioned that 3 testimonies in a universe of 27 thousand hires would be insufficient to characterize an electoral purpose.
The majority of the Court, however, understood differently. Ministers such as Floriano de Azevedo Marques and Cármen Lúcia considered that the temporary hires had a misuse of purpose and connection with the campaign, with evidence of co-optation of contractors for political support. They also pointed out abuse of political and economic power.
Minister André Mendonça acknowledged irregularities in the hiring, but stated that there is no direct proof of the governor’s participation or knowledge in the actions. Therefore, he voted against the conviction. Even so, the understanding prevailed that the public structure was used for electoral benefit.
The case investigates suspected abuse of power in the 2022 elections, involving hiring made by the Rio government through Ceperj and UERJ. According to the Public Electoral Ministry, some of those hired had acted as electoral canvassers. The case reached the TSE after the TRE-RJ acquitted Castro by 4 votes to 3 in 2024.
