Federal Police Delegates Urge Gonet to Recuse in Vorcaro‑Moraes Probe

The National Association of Federal Police Delegates (ADPF) issued a public statement on Saturday requesting that Brazil’s Prosecutor General, Paulo Gonet, recuse himself from the inquiry into possible external influence on a Federal Police (PF) report. The report, commissioned by Supreme Federal Court (STF) Minister André Mendonça, alleged that businessman Daniel Vorcaro, owner of the bank Master, exchanged 52 messages with STF Minister Alexandre de Moraes. Gonet had opened a procedural step to examine whether any external order or interference had tainted the PF document’s content.

Background on the PF report

The PF report in question was prepared by four delegates and three agents of the Federal Police following a judicial order from Minister Mendonça, who was then the rapporteur of the case before the STF. According to the ADPF, the delegates and agents acted strictly within the limits of that judicial mandate, without exercising personal discretion over the content they were ordered to produce. The document tied Vorcaro’s communications to Moraes and mentioned Gonet, prompting the Prosecutor General’s Office to scrutinize the report for potential outside influence.

ADPF’s demands

In its note, the ADPF urged Gonet to declare himself impeded and to abstain from performing any acts—whether as the guardian of the law or as the holder of external police control—in proceedings where he is cited. The association also asked that the procedural step initiated by Gonet be archived, arguing that it is an inappropriate avenue for challenging an act of the STF. Furthermore, the ADPF called for the facts that surfaced during Operation Compliance Zero to be investigated in full, without selectivity regarding the authorities involved.

Context of Operation Compliance Zero

Operation Compliance Zero is the investigative effort that brought the alleged communications between Vorcaro and Moraes to light. The ADPF emphasized that any inquiry into those facts must encompass all authorities mentioned, avoiding selective focus. The association expressed concern and indignation, describing Gonet’s move as intimidatory toward the Federal Police delegates who carried out the original report.

Implications

The ADPF represents over 2,300 Federal Police delegates and said it would provide assistance to its members implicated in the matter. The episode highlights tensions between Brazil’s law‑enforcement agencies and the judiciary, especially when investigations touch upon high‑ranking officials. As of the statement, Gonet had not publicly responded to the recusal request, and the procedural status of the inquiry into the PF report remained unresolved.