The minister of the Superior Electoral Court, André Mendonça, provisionally suspended, on Tuesday (June 30, 2026), the effects of the conviction of the federal deputy (Republicanos-RJ). With the decision, he is able to contest the 2026 elections. Here is the (PDF – 250 KB).
The previous decision, by the (Regional Electoral Court of Rio de Janeiro), declared the former mayor of Rio ineligible for 8 years. He is accused of abuse of political and economic power on suspicion of receiving undue amounts in municipal management contracts.
Mendonça stated that there was legal doubt about the conviction. According to the minister, the interpretation that expands the fundamental right of eligibility must prevail until a definitive decision is made. The measure is provisional in nature.
The minister highlighted that there was 1 dissenting vote in the regional court. The judge concluded that the offenses were related to the 2016 election, and not the 2020 election. According to Mendonça, this divergence allows the TSE to re-evaluate the legal framework of the facts without re-examining the evidence, that is, analyzing whether the law was applied correctly.
For the minister, a more in-depth examination by the Court is necessary to define whether the facts characterize abuse of power specifically in the 2020 election.
Mendonça also cited a preliminary decision in the criminal sphere in which the rapporteur voted to reject the complaint against Crivella for lack of just cause. As the evidence of the electoral action is the same, the minister understood that the scenario reinforces the need for caution before applying serious sanctions.
Crivella celebrated the decision. “I thank God very much. Minister André Mendonça cites in his decision the votes of the process in the TRE of Rio de Janeiro, which more than exonerate me, reject the complaint”the deputy told Poder360.
He intends to run for a seat in the Senate in the October elections.
PROXIMITY TO ELECTIONS
The minister also stated that preventing Crivella from contesting the elections would harm the electoral calendar. Mendonça cited the start of party conventions, on July 20, 2026, and the deadline for registering candidacies, on August 15.
According to the minister, ineligibility would cause irreversible damage to the electoral process, even if the deputy wins the appeal in the future.
