Judge José Rodrigo Sade, from the Regional Electoral Court (TRE) of Paraná, voted this Wednesday (3) in favor of the revocation of the mandate and the ineligibility for eight years of senator Sergio Moro (União-PR), former judge of the Operation Lava Jato. With the judge’s statement, the trial score is 1 to 1.
After the vote was tied, judge Claudia Cristina Cristofani requested a review of the process (more time to analyze) and suspended the trial, which will resume next Monday (8).
If he is revoked by the TRE, Moro will not leave his position immediately because the defense will be able to appeal to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). If the eventual impeachment is confirmed by the TSE, new elections will be called in Paraná to fill the senator’s vacancy. He will still be ineligible for eight years.
The trial began on Monday (1st), when the case’s rapporteur, judge Luciano Carrasco Falavinha Souza, spoke out against the revocation and for the rejection of the actions in which the PT, the PL and the Public Electoral Ministry (MPE) accuse Moro of abuse of economic power due to alleged irregular spending in the pre-campaign period in the 2022 elections.
In 2021, Moro was at Podemos and carried out pre-candidacy acts for the Presidency of the Republic. According to the accusation, there was an “illegal disadvantage” in favor of the other candidates for the position of senator due to the “high financial investments” made before Moro left the party and ran for the Senate for the Union.
According to the Public Ministry’s accusation, approximately R$2 million was spent from the Party Fund on Moro’s membership event for Podemos and on hiring video production for personal promotion, in addition to electoral consultancy. The PL pointed out alleged irregular expenses of R$7 million. For the PT, it was R$21 million.
In Sade’s understanding, Moro benefited electorally. For the magistrate, by carrying out the pre-campaign for the Presidency and then running for the Senate, Moro spent more than the other candidates for the Senate and caused an imbalance in the dispute.
“The investigated Sergio Moro took the real risk of starting to spend as a presidential candidate, exposing himself to seeing his candidacy challenged on charges of economic power,” he stated.
The trial continues to take the votes of five more magistrates.
On the first day of the trial, Moro’s defense defended the maintenance of the mandate and denied irregularities in the pre-campaign.
