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Brazil’s Supreme Court found itself embroiled in a growing institutional crisis on Friday, as two of its most prominent justices—Alexandre de Moraes and Andre Mendonca—began requesting significant sanctions against each other. The conflict arose from a large-scale federal investigation into financial fraud linked to the collapsed Banco Master and its disgraced owner, Daniel Vorcaro. This investigation has also implicated some politicians ahead of the upcoming October elections.

De Moraes, 57, gained national recognition after leading the case that led to former President Jair Bolsonaro's imprisonment for attempting a coup. Mendonca, 53, is the court’s first evangelical member, appointed by Bolsonaro. Tensions between the justices intensified after Mendonca reportedly sought sanctions against de Moraes over his potential involvement in a corrupt investigation, while de Moraes demanded Mendonca face investigation and possible impeachment by the Senate for conducting an unauthorized interview with Vorcaro.

Mendonca recently unsealed a portion of the federal police investigation, which revealed numerous intercepted messages between Vorcaro and de Moraes. These messages showed Vorcaro frequently seeking advice from de Moraes, further fueling suspicions about de Moraes and his wife, who provided legal services to Banco Master under a 130 million reais ($25 million) contract.

The crisis deepened when it was revealed that Mendonca had also met privately with Vorcaro in the past year. In his statement, Mendonca claimed he only listened to Vorcaro’s account in discussions with other Supreme Court justices, but later admitted to having a more recent meeting with Vorcaro without the court's authorization. Despite this, federal prosecutors dismissed Vorcaro’s claim that he had been mistreated by police.

In response to the allegations, de Moraes called for Chief Justice Luiz Edson Fachin to investigate Mendonca’s conduct, accusing it of being politically motivated. De Moraes asserted that Mendonca committed an impeachable offense by interviewing Vorcaro under secretive conditions. The Senate, which holds authority over impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court justices, has already received numerous impeachment requests against de Moraes, with few against Mendonca so far.

On Friday, the chief justice stated that he would seek clarifications from both justices, along with Attorney General Paulo Gonet, who is mentioned in Vorcaro’s intercepted messages, and the federal police director. President Lula da Silva also called for a thorough investigation, emphasizing the need to preserve the country’s institutions during a period of heightened tension. De Moraes and Mendonca did not engage in conversation during their recent Supreme Court sessions, with meetings scheduled for the following week.