Brazil's Supreme Court Bars Emenda Funds to NGOs Tied to Lawmakers' Relatives and Aides

Overview

• Justice Flávio Dino prohibited transfers from parliamentary amendments to third‑sector entities run by spouses or relatives up to the third degree of the authoring lawmaker or their aides.
• The ruling also forbids indirect routes, including subcontracts or payments to companies and suppliers linked to those relatives or to entities’ own directors.
• Dino ordered the CGU to present, within 15 days, an annual audit schedule for third‑sector recipients, and tasked MDR, MGI and the CGU with a joint technical note on DNOCS and Codevasf within 60 days.
• The president of Rio Grande do Sul’s audit court must respond in 10 days after being flagged as the only state court lacking rules to oversee amendment execution with traceability.
• The decision cites reporting and CGU findings showing a surge in NGO‑directed emendas—reaching a R$1.7 billion record in 2025—and warns that persistent irregularities could trigger partial or total suspension of transfers.