Brazilian municipalities spend R$1.6 million on Supreme Court ministers' lecture

A consortium of 14 municipalities in the interior of São Paulo spent about R$1.6 million in 2025 on a joint lecture by Supreme Court justice Gilmar Mendes and Prosecutor‑General Paulo Gonet. The event was held on 28 April in Barueri and cost R$348,183.50 for the speakers, plus travel, lodging, staff, taxes and administrative fees. An additional R$1.228 million was paid to Instituto Iter, a firm created by another Supreme Court minister, André Mendonça, for a year‑long training programme. The contracts were public and deemed legal under Brazil’s constitution and magistrate statutes, though the exact allocation to each speaker was not disclosed. Both Mendes and Gonet denied any irregularity. The payments have drawn scrutiny following the Master Bank scandal, with calls for greater transparency and the STF’s ongoing debate over a new code of ethics.