Ineligibility could be just the beginning for Bolsonaro

Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court on Friday declared former President Jair Bolsonaro ineligible until 2030, saying he used his former office to spread disinformation about the electoral system. It was the worst political defeat he has suffered in 34 years as a politician — but it could be just the beginning of a potentially very painful comeuppance.

Mr. Bolsonaro faces more than 600 lawsuits, ranging from alleged electoral crimes to health violations during the pandemic to criminal investigations. Taken together, the cases could cost him up to BRL 2 million (USD 415,000) in fines, according to estimates from his Liberal Party, which is paying for his defense.

The outlook seems rather ominous for the former president. “After intensely going after the judicial system, he put an insurmountable distance between himself and the courts,” says constitutional lawyer Flávio Pansieri.

During his presidency, Mr. Bolsonaro enjoyed legal prerogatives reserved for federal elected officials — he could only be prosecuted and tried before the Supreme Court, an overburdened body that often takes many years to hear a case. (Former President Fernando Collor, for instance, was recently convicted of corruption and money laundering nearly eight years after the charges were filed.)

In the Superior Electoral Court alone, which found him guilty of abuse of power by a 5-2 majority, Mr. Bolsonaro faces another 15 cases that could confirm his ineligibility to hold office for the next eight years.

Depending on their outcome, they could bring down another 73 defendants along with Mr. Bolsonaro, including his politician sons — Rio de Janeiro City Councilor Carlos, Congressman Eduardo, and Senator Flávio — and other politicians close to his family. The latter group includes conservative Congresswomen Carla Zambelli...