Appeals to the decision of the Regional Electoral Court of Paraná (TRE-PR), which acquitted Moro, were presented last month by PL and PT.
Moro’s ticket was accused of slush funds, improper use of social media, in addition to abuse of economic power. The actions were filed by the PL and the Brazilian Federation of Hope in November and December 2022.
In an opinion issued by the Regional Electoral Prosecutor’s Office of Paraná in December 2023, prosecutors Marcelo Godoy and Eloisa Helena Machado dismissed the accusations of improper use of social media and slush funds.
However, the prosecutors understood that there was an abuse of economic power due to the spending of at least R$2 million during the pre-campaign, made with joint investments from Podemos and União Brasil.
Prosecutors also analyzed the fact that Moro’s pre-campaign, at first, was focused on the presidential race. Finally, the opinion recommended the revocation of the ticket and the ineligibility of Sergio Moro.
By majority vote, TRE-PR decided against Moro’s impeachment. Four judges followed the vote of rapporteur Luciano Carrasco Falavinha Souza and understood that the accusations were unfounded. The trial ended on April 9, in Curitiba.
Throughout the trial, the judges presented different interpretations of which expenses reported in the processes should be considered campaign and pre-campaign expenses.
Among the values are, for example, expenses with food, hiring law firms, communication companies, rental and car rental.
Thus, there was disagreement among the members of the Court regarding the sum to be considered of the amounts spent in the period by Moro and, consequently, whether there was abuse of economic power.
Falavinha, the case’s rapporteur, understood that the accusations against the senator for abuse of economic power in the 2022 election are unfounded.
He highlighted that expenses for events held by Moro in other states in the pre-campaign for the presidency were considered as pre-campaign for the Senate by the parties responsible for the actions.
Judges Anderson Ricardo Fogaça, Sigurd Roberto Bengtsson, Guilherme Frederico Hernandes Denz and Claudia Cristina Cristofani also voted against the impeachment.
Judges José Rodrigo Sade and Julio Jacob Junior voted in favor of the impeachment and for Moro’s ineligibility.
After the decision, Moro said that the Court preserved “popular sovereignty” and “honored the votes of almost 2 million people from Paraná.”
