Overview
- The Advocacia do Senado submitted a defense at the end of May that asks a São Paulo civil court to reject a damages action filed by the family of Supreme Court minister Alexandre de Moraes.
- The suit was brought in late April by Viviane Barci de Moraes and two children of the minister, who seek R$20,000 each for alleged harm to their honor from Vieira’s March interview.
- Vieira told SBT News in March that CPI materials and intelligence reports suggested a “circulation of resources” involving the PCC and some relatives of STF ministers while noting illegality had not been established.
- The Senate defense argues the remarks were made in the context of Vieira’s work as CPI relator and are protected by material parliamentary immunity, contends the interview was given in Brasília not São Paulo, and asks any award to be symbolic.
- The dispute rests on contested CPI evidence about large payments from Banco Master to the Barci de Moraes firm and could test how courts balance legislative speech protections against reputation rights and forum rules.