São Paulo's Regional Electoral Court has removed Barueri mayor José Roberto Piteri and his deputy Cláudia Aparecida Afonso Marques from office for improper use of communication media in the 2024 elections. The 4-3 decision also bars them and former mayor Rubens Furlan from running for eight years. The defense intends to appeal to the Superior Electoral Court, expressing confidence in overturning the ruling.
The TRE-SP ordered the removal on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, within a Judicial Electoral Investigation Action filed by the Aqui tem Barueri coalition, comprising parties such as União Brasil, PL, and PSD. The complaint alleged that social media posts boosted by former mayor Rubens Furlan enhanced Piteri's image and criticized opponent Gil Arantes, who won the runoff with 56.48% of votes against Piteri's 43.52%.
The case was initially dismissed at the first instance, but the TRE overturned it in April, deeming the boosts abusive due to the high investment of about R$ 500,000, exceeding what Furlan could allocate to the campaign. A subsequent appeal by Piteri's ticket reversed the decision again at the TRE, arguing the ads targeted the entire state of São Paulo, creating doubt about their local impact in Barueri.
The latest reversal followed a new appeal from the opposition coalition, with the full ruling yet to be published. The Toscano firm, representing Piteri, his deputy, and Furlan, told Folha it will appeal to the TSE and is confident of reversal, bolstered by an injunction from Justice Minister Kassio Nunes Marques that suspended the removal in May pending final judgment. All remain in office until the higher court's decision.
This twist adds another chapter to Barueri's electoral contest in the Alphaville area of Greater São Paulo, underscoring concerns over social media use in campaigns.
