Moraes’ initiative raises tension in Congress as it is carried out on the eve of the analysis of the nomination to the STF
The STF minister’s decision to take legal action against the senator (MDB-SE) increased political pressure on the appointment of the Union’s attorney general to the Federal Supreme Court. The movement took place less than 24 hours before the nominee’s hearing in the Senate, this Wednesday (April 29, 2026), at an already sensitive moment of articulation.
In the Legislature, initiatives by the Supreme Court against congressmen are often associated with the PT government due to the perception of greater proximity between the Judiciary and Executive.
The action was filed by Moraes and his wife, Viviane Barci, who claim the senator associated them with the PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital) during an interview. The couple seeks compensation for moral damages, alleging an offense against honor and decorum.
Vieira objects. He states that the initiative has an intimidating nature and links it to the CPI on Organized Crime report, in which he called for the indictment of Moraes and other STF ministers. The senator denies having been associated with the PCC and maintains that his statements dealt with financial transfers.
“What I said, and it is proven and confessed, is that they received around R$80 million from Banco Master, which today we know is a criminal group”, he stated.
Tension between Powers
In Congress, the episode is interpreted in light of a recurring tension between the Judiciary and the Legislature. In the current government, a series of measures of interest to the Executive, which were overturned in the Legislature, were taken up by the STF.
Some examples are:
- increase in IOF – made by decree by Lula, it was overturned in Congress. STF determined that the increase would continue;
- Timeframe – after Congress approved the thesis that restricts indigenous demarcations prior to 1989, the STF overturned the measure, aligning itself with the position defended by the government;
- payroll tax relief – Congress extended the benefit to economic sectors, the government contacted the STF, which suspended the measure in a preliminary decision by minister Cristiano Zanin, appointed by Lula.
Another topic mentioned is the extension of the INSS CPMI.
It was in the interest of some senators, and present in the rules, to extend investigations into illegal discounts on retirement and pensions. After Minister André Mendonça ordered the CPI to continue with its work, the STF plenary overturned the decision, ordering the investigations to be closed.
Measures like these led senators and deputies to associate Supreme Court initiatives with the government. In this way, someone appointed by Lula bears the indirect burden of these actions.
This environment contaminated the final stretch of the articulation around Messias. The assessment in the Senate is that the scenario for the nominee worsened on Tuesday (April 28) compared to the previous day.
