Moraes votes against Bolsonaro’s request to close an investigation into the TSE leak
Federal Supreme Court (STF) minister Alexandre de Moraes voted to deny a request from former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) to archive the investigation investigating the leak of confidential data from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). In Moraes’ vote, made this Friday (11), the magistrate says that the former president did not present a “minimally suitable argument” to prevent the investigation from continuing.
The appeal has been analyzed in a virtual plenary by the 1st Panel of the STF since this Friday and the other ministers have until the 18th to cast their votes. Moraes, who is the appeal’s rapporteur, is the only one who has taken a position so far.
To the Estadãothe former president’s defense stated that they will wait for the trial to end in a virtual plenary session to comment on the issue.
Bolsonaro’s defense asked for the investigation to be shelved, claiming that the report supporting the process was made before a statement by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) which in February 2022, asked for the process to be shelved. The MP’s request was denied by Moraes in August of the same year.
Bolsonaro also claims that the members of the Court “do not have the legitimacy to vindicate, ex officio, complementary investigative measures”. Finally, the defense argued that the PGR’s archiving request must be granted.
The inquiry, opened in 2021, investigates whether Bolsonaro, still as president, federal deputy Filipe Barros (PL-PR) and Federal Police delegate Victor Neves Feitosa disclosed confidential TSE data through social media profiles.
THE Estadão He contacted deputy Filipe Barros and delegate Victor Neves Feitosa, but had not received any response until the publication of this text.
According to Moraes, the objective of the three would be to “expand the fraudulent narrative against the Brazilian electoral process, with the aim of disrupting it, hindering it, frustrating it or preventing it, attributing to it, without any evidence or evidence, doubtful character regarding the fairness of the voting system in Brazil”.
