Brazilian judiciary faces political controversy amid STF probe and TSE appointment

Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça was appointed relator of the "Dark Horse" investigation, a probe into alleged financial irregularities involving businessman Daniel Vorcaro and a film funded with R$ 61 million. Mendonça’s close friendship with former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro has made him a focal point in the public dispute between her and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who deny wrongdoing.

In a separate development, Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE) President Kassio Nunes Marques named attorney Fabiana Cristina Ortega Severo as vice‑director of the Electoral Judicial School. The appointment has drawn criticism because Severo is married to Gustavo Severo, a lawyer with whom Nunes Marques maintains a personal friendship, raising questions of nepotism even though the position is unpaid.