TRE-SP Confirms Pablo Marçal Ineligible for 8 Years Over Social-Media ‘Cuts Contest’

Overview

• Judges ruled 4–3, with TRE-SP president Silmar Fernandes casting the deciding vote to maintain the sanction.
• The ruling leaves Marçal unable to run until 2032 and confirms a R$420,000 fine for defying a court order.
• Appellate judges removed first-instance convictions for illicit fundraising and abuse of economic power, keeping only misuse of communication media.
• The case centered on a paid ‘cuts contest’ that rewarded collaborators with money and gifts to spread campaign videos, and also examined a Google ad paid by the candidate’s spouse’s makeup artist.
• The actions were brought by the PSB, the Electoral Prosecutor’s Office and councilor Sílvia Andrea Ferraro; appeals to the TSE are available, and Marçal said he will seek to overturn the decision.