TSE Sets Nov. 4 Trial That Could Oust Rio Governor Cláudio Castro

Overview

• The appeals accuse Governor Cláudio Castro, Alerj president Rodrigo Bacellar and allies of abusing political and economic power in 2022 through irregular hiring schemes at Ceperj and UERJ.
• The case reached the TSE after a 4–3 TRE-RJ acquittal in May 2024, with the Electoral Prosecutor’s Office appealing and the federal electoral prosecutor later backing cassation and ineligibility.
• Investigations report thousands of temporary hires outside regular procedures and large cash withdrawals by contractors, including R$248 million flagged by prosecutors.
• Several TSE ministers privately say they were surprised by the late inclusion on the docket and foresee a possible request for more time given the case’s complexity.
• Allies view Kassio Nunes Marques as the likely source of a 60-day pause through a pedido de vista, as relator Isabel Gallotti advances priority cases before leaving the court and Castro prepares to give information to the Supreme Court about a lethal police operation in Rio.