Jamilson Name reelection candidacy denied by Brazil's TSE

The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has denied the reelection candidacy of State Deputy Jamilson Name (PP) in Mato Grosso do Sul. The individual decision was issued by rapporteur Minister Sebastião Reis Júnior, reversing a previous ruling by the Regional Electoral Court of Mato Grosso do Sul (TRE-MS) that had authorized the registration.

The denial follows a first-instance conviction of Name for involvement in a criminal organization and money laundering, stemming from investigations known as Operação Omertà. While the TRE-MS had previously ruled that the evidence did not prove paramilitary or armed activity, Minister Reis Júnior argued that recent TSE jurisprudence does not limit constitutional prohibitions to the overt use of weapons, noting that the goal is to prevent criminal groups from infiltrating the state structure through economic power or violence.

Because the decision was monocratic, Name’s defense intends to appeal to the TSE plenary. Until a final ruling is reached, the candidacy remains “sub judice,” meaning Name can continue campaigning and his name will remain on the electronic ballot.