The minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) Alexandre de Moraes was notified by email, to respond to the lawsuit filed by the social network Rumble and the Trump Media & Technology Group, in the United States.
In a post on social media on Sunday night (24), lawyer Martin de Luca, who represents the platforms, confirmed the court summons.
“Today, in accordance with a US Federal Court order, Rumble and Trump Media notified Federal Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes via email,” wrote Martin de Luca.
Still in the post, de Luca attached the process document, indicating that Moraes must respond to the initial petition within 21 days. The document also says that if Moraes does not present a defense, the mechanism that allows the process to continue without the participation of the defense.
When contacted, Minister Alexandre de Moraes has not yet responded.
As shown by CNNon Friday (22), in the action filed by the platforms Rumble and Trump Media, owner of Truth Social.
The decision was signed by a judge from the District Court of Florida and unlocks the progress of the process after months of unsuccessful attempts at notification through the diplomatic channels provided for in the Hague Convention.
The order does not address the merits of the accusations made against Moraes. The decision deals exclusively with authorization for the summons of the Brazilian minister by electronic means and the maintenance of documents under secrecy in the process. The dispute between Moraes and Rumble has gained an international dimension in recent months and has already caused repercussions in Brazil, including decisions involving the platform’s operations in the country.
What motivated the action in the United States?
The case was opened in February in the Federal Court of Florida under the accusation that Moraes had against political speeches by users aligned with the Brazilian right, such as influencer Allan dos Santos.
According to the companies, decisions by the minister forcing Rumble to remove accounts of Brazilian figures would violate the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which protects freedom of expression.
They also claim that Moraes ordered the platform to maintain legal representation in Brazil to comply with court orders.
Although Trump Media was not directly targeted by the STF’s decisions, the company argues that it depends on Rumble’s technological infrastructure to operate Truth Social.
Why did the American Court authorize the summons by email?
In the decision, the judge states that attempts at international legal cooperation were paralyzed after a change in procedure involving the Superior Court of Justice (STJ).
According to the document, the STJ previously consulted the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) and the Attorney General’s Office (AGU) before moving forward with the international summons request.
The companies claimed that the PGR presented a confidential statement defending that the notification was barred and that the procedure began to be processed “under secrecy”.
For the authors of the action, judicial cooperation had become “politicized and effectively unavailable”, creating an impasse with no concrete prediction of conclusion.
The judge noted that the Hague Convention does not expressly prohibit service by email and highlighted American court precedents authorizing this type of measure in cases involving Brazilian defendants.
The decision also states that there was sufficient effort by the companies to locate and communicate Moraes and that the emails linked to the STF were considered valid and operational.
