Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) must rule if Cláudio Castro's resignation was a maneuver to dodge cassation and indirect election in the state assembly. Former deputy Marcelo Freixo and a coalition appealed to annul the ex-governor's diploma. This could lead to a direct popular vote for his successor in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil's TSE has received an appeal from former deputy Marcelo Freixo and the A Vida Vai Melhorar coalition (PT, PCdoB, PV, PSDB, Cidadania, Rede, PSOL) against the ruling condemning Cláudio Castro (PL) for political and economic power abuse. The case concerns hiring 27,600 temporary workers at Fundação Ceperj and Uerj, costing 519 million reais in the first half of 2022. The Public Prosecutor's Office states these workers acted as electoral agents in the 2022 elections.
Castro resigned before formal cassation, facing ineligibility until 2030 but enabling indirect election in the Rio de Janeiro Legislative Assembly (Alerj), where PL holds the largest bloc. The state is interim-governed by Justice Tribunal president Ricardo Couto. Appellants claim the resignation was 'spurious and fraudulent, in deviation of purpose and evident fraud to the law'.
Lawyers Paulo Henrique Teles Fagundes and Victor Souza argue Castro paved the way for allies by sanctioning indirect election laws and expanding Casa Civil powers. 'Cláudio Castro [...] sought to maintain his political and administrative influence in the State of Rio de Janeiro', the appeal states.
The case draws parallel to TSE's cassation of Deltan Dallagnol under the Ficha Limpa Law. In the Supreme Federal Court (STF), PSD actions on the by-election format are suspended on vista request by Minister Flávio Dino. Ministers Cármen Lúcia, André Mendonça, and Kassio Nunes Marques view STF intervention as premature.
