The president of the Supreme Federal Court, Edson Fachin, publicly stated that he has the power to close the so-called fake news inquiry at any time, currently being conducted by Minister Alexandre de Moraes. The statement was made during an event at the Palácio do Planalto. Although he did not set a specific deadline, Fachin made it clear that, as president of the body, he has this prerogative.
Fachin's statement comes amid a severe internal crisis at the STF, driven by the open war between Alexandre de Moraes and Minister André Mendonça. The latter made public a report with conversations between Daniel Vorcaro and Moraes, significantly raising the tension among the Court's members.
Fachin demonstrated that he sees part of the process of recovering the court's image as passing through the closure of this inquiry. Furthermore, by mentioning this possibility, he made his displeasure clear regarding the way Moraes has been using the instrument, especially as a tool for retaliation against a fellow court member.
In the same context, Fachin stated that no authority is above the Constitution. The extent of the crisis plaguing the Constitutional Court will require significant actions from him to try to restore the stability and credibility of the institution.
