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Romeu Zema, a former governor of Minas Gerais and a 2026 presidential hopeful, has been formally notified to respond in a calumny case involving Gilmar Mendes, the dean of Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF). The Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Brazil's top court for nonconstitutional federal law, gave Zema 15 days to present his defense, according to Gazeta do Povo.
The case stems from a complaint filed on May 15 by Brazil's Attorney General's Office (PGR), which accused Zema of falsely attributing criminal conduct to Mendes in social media videos. The videos, titled “Os Intocáveis” — “The Untouchables” — used satire to connect Mendes and other STF justices to suspicions surrounding Banco Master, a financial scandal under public and political scrutiny.
What Prosecutors Allege
According to Agência Brasil, the PGR said the videos amounted to calumny, a crime under Brazilian law that involves falsely accusing someone of committing a criminal act. O Globo reported that prosecutors specifically accused Zema of falsely suggesting Mendes had committed passive corruption by placing his judicial role “at the service of private interest” in exchange for an improper benefit.
The PGR also asked the STJ to set minimum civil compensation equivalent to 100 Brazilian minimum wages for moral damages if Zema is convicted, O Globo reported. Prosecutors argued that the alleged offense was aggravated because it targeted a public official in connection with his role and was spread through platforms capable of reaching a broad audience.
O Globo cited the complaint as saying the content had reached 487,200 views on X and 2.8 million views on Instagram by the time prosecutors filed the case.
Zema's Response
Zema published a video on Monday showing the notification and saying he would not “stay silent.” In the video, he repeated accusations involving Mendes and alleged links to a “banker criminal,” language that Gazeta do Povo quoted directly from Zema's statement.
“I am outraged, but I am certain that justice will prevail,” Zema said, according to Gazeta do Povo.
In an earlier statement cited by Agência Brasil and O Globo, Zema said: “The untouchables do not accept criticism. The untouchables do not accept humor. The untouchables do not want to account for their acts. The untouchables consider themselves above other Brazilians. I will not retreat one millimeter.”
The dispute has moved beyond the criminal complaint. Mendes had already asked fellow STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes to include Zema in Brazil's so-called fake news inquiry, a high-profile Supreme Court investigation into alleged digital attacks and disinformation campaigns targeting democratic institutions.
Political Backdrop
The clash comes as Zema positions himself for the 2026 presidential race. A member of Novo, a market-liberal party, he has made criticism of the STF part of his national platform, including a proposal for a “new STF,” according to Gazeta do Povo.
Mendes and Zema had publicly traded criticism before the criminal complaint. Agência Brasil reported that Mendes criticized the videos and mocked Zema's accent while saying the former governor had “governed Minas with STF injunctions,” a reference to Supreme Court decisions that suspended Minas Gerais's debt payments to the federal government.
The legal case now gives the dispute a formal deadline. Zema has 15 days to respond at the STJ, while the court will decide how the PGR complaint proceeds.