Federal Police Probe Illegal Access and Political Motives in STF Ministers' Data Leak

The Polícia Federal is actively investigating unauthorized access to fiscal data belonging to Supreme Federal Court (STF) ministers, including their family members, amid suspicions of political or financial motives behind the breaches. This probe was instigated by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, who authorized the execution of four search and seizure warrants across São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Bahia targeting individuals suspected of illicitly accessing confidential tax information.

According to reports from Receita Federal, the agency detected irregular access patterns during an internal audit, uncovering multiple unauthorized consultations of sensitive fiscal data. Among those under scrutiny is a server from the Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro) assigned to Receita, accused of accessing data related to Viviane Barsi de Moraes, the wife of Minister Moraes. The agency confirmed that about 100 individuals, including family members of all ten STF ministers, had their data traced and potentially compromised.

Despite initial assessments not conclusively pointing to political motivations, the investigation is ongoing to clarify the intent behind these breaches. Receita Federal acknowledged its limitations in handling such investigations, prompting STF authorization for deeper Federal Police inquiry. In response, several precautionary measures have been imposed on suspects, including electronic ankle monitoring, suspension from public duties, travel bans, and home confinement.

This investigation is interwoven with a broader fake news inquiry initiated in 2019 under former STF President Dias Toffoli, with Moraes leading as rapporteur. It also relates to prior operations connected to Banco Master, a financial institution recently liquidated by the Central Bank, which had strained institutional relations. The focus of the inquiry covers not only the unauthorized data breaches but also possible exploitation of confidential information aimed at generating politically convenient suspicions.

Minister Moraes stated that the Receita's findings revealed "various and multiple illegal accesses" to the system and warned that the fragmentation and selective use of such confidential data undermines institutional trust. This ongoing probe highlights significant concerns over confidentiality breaches of high-profile public officials, with potential administrative, criminal, and political ramifications expected as the investigation unfolds.