Supreme Court justices including André Mendonça, Gilmar Mendes, and Cristiano Zanin ramped up efforts to secure approval for Jorge Messias' nomination to the bench, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday (29) in the Senate's CCJ committee. The Lula administration negotiated positions and amendments, as Messias gained PSB backing after lunching with Rodrigo Pacheco and Geraldo Alckmin. Senator Marcos Pontes suggested abstentions in a video to sway the secret ballot.
The push to approve Jorge Messias for a Supreme Court seat involved direct lobbying by fellow justices. André Mendonça, rapporteur on INSS fraud and Banco Master investigations, leveraged his sway with the evangelical bloc to ease opposition. Kassio Nunes Marques aided in persuading ruling-party senators that Messias, Lula's former AGU, bolsters the court's conservative wing on issues like abortion and drugs.
Gilmar Mendes, who initially backed Rodrigo Pacheco, shifted stance and publicly endorsed Messias on social media, praising his "qualified resume." At a dinner hosted by Cristiano Zanin, attended by Pacheco, Alexandre de Moraes, and Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, Messias sought support, but Alcolumbre remained noncommittal.
On the eve of the hearing, Messias lunched with Pacheco and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, securing unanimous backing from PSB's six senators. The party lauded his "commitment to the Constitution" and "respect for democratic institutions."
Senator Marcos Pontes (PL) posted a video instructing colleagues to register presence and abstain in the CCJ's secret ballot, leaving names "white" on the panel to signal dissent. Messias requires 14 votes in committee and 41 in the plenary for confirmation.
