Toffoli’s ex-wife has increased her role in the STF since the minister took office, says newspaper

Lawyer Roberta Maria Rangel, ex-wife of STF (Supreme Federal Court) minister Dias Toffoli, has expanded her work in the court and in the STJ (Superior Court of Justice) since he took office in the Court in 2009. According to a survey by Estadão, the number of cases handled by her in these instances grew by 140%.

According to the numbers found by the newspaper, before Toffoli took over as minister of the STF, Roberta Maria Rangel acted in 53 cases that were being processed in the Court or in the STJ. Later, the number rose to 127. Estadão also found that 70.5% of the actions in which she works as a lawyer in these Courts began after Toffoli took office at the STF.

Roberta Maria Rangel’s client portfolio includes big names, such as the J&F group and CSN (Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional – CSNA3), both with cases being processed in the STF and/or STJ.

The analysis was carried out considering data until the first half of this year, when the minister and the lawyer separated.

When contacted by Estadão, neither Toffoli nor his ex-wife wanted to speak out. The original report also contacted the companies mentioned, but they either did not respond or decided not to comment.

This is not an isolated case in the Supreme Court. Lawyer Viviane Barci de Moraes, wife of minister Alexandre de Moraes, also expanded her work in the highest courts, jumping from 27 to 152 cases after her husband took office.

STF rules

The law does not prohibit family members of ministers from acting as lawyers in cases pending before the STF. Magistrates, however, are prohibited from participating in trials in which their relatives act.

Since 2023, the ban has been relaxed somewhat. The STF itself understood that judges can judge cases in which the parties are represented by offices in which their relatives work, as long as the relative is not formally responsible for the representation.

Toffoli’s performance has already been questioned

Also in 2023, Toffoli was criticized for suspending a R$10.3 billion fine from the J&F group’s leniency agreement. Roberta Rangel, his wife at the time, provided legal consultancy to the group in another case. In another trial involving J&F Toffoli declared himself unable to judge due to Roberta’s work.

Not long ago, the minister’s actions were questioned again. This time, however, the reason was the fact that he traveled to Peru to watch the Libertadores final on a private jet alongside Augusto de Arruda Botelho, a lawyer working on the Banco Master case.

Toffoli is the rapporteur of the process that investigates suspected financial fraud involving Banco Master. He ordered the case to remain in the STF and decreed confidentiality of the case and prevented the INSS CPI from accessing documents.