Justice André Mendonça of Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) closed the case concerning the confidential banking, tax and telephone records of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. The decision was signed on Wednesday (4), without the information having been voluntarily disclosed.
The case was dismissed without a ruling on its merits, and no order was issued to lift confidentiality. Mendonça agreed with the Electoral Prosecution Service’s opinion that there was no legal basis for the court to intervene. The justice reiterated that the electoral courts should not take responsibility for disclosing the information, which could be released by the individuals themselves.
The dispute began during a presidential debate, when Lula challenged Flávio Bolsonaro to disclose his confidential records in exchange for the release of Lula’s own information. The campaigns filed petitions with the TSE authorizing the disclosure of information, including that of family members and companies, on the condition of reciprocity.
