28/06/2026 03:17 - Politica
Manuel Adorni submitted his irrevocable resignation as Chief of Staff of Ministers (a role equivalent to a Prime Minister or White House Chief of Staff) on Saturday, June 27, 2026, bringing an end to four months of intense scrutiny regarding his assets and conduct. The decision was communicated via a message on the social network X, where he published a letter addressed to President Javier Milei.
In his publication, Adorni wrote: "Thank you for your trust, Mr. President. It has been a true honor. End.", accompanying the message with a letter where he labeled the accusations against him as "lies".
The now-former official claimed it was a matter of "trips that never happened, astronomical and sumptuous expenses, non-existent and false contracts," stating: "They have treated me as a criminal and corrupt without a single act of corruption on my shoulders."
Adorni explained that he "cannot continue exposing many of the people I love to this media slaughter," according to the released document. Days earlier, he had already left his role as government spokesperson, a position he held since the beginning of the administration as one of the officials closest to the President.
The scandal began when images surfaced of Adorni traveling with his wife on the presidential plane during a tour of the United States, despite her having no official functions. The official acknowledged the fact but assured the cost was not borne by the Argentine State.
Subsequently, more serious allegations arose:
His sworn declaration showed an increase of 775%, jumping from $20 million to $944 million Argentine Pesos after entering public office.
Adorni acknowledged possessing USD 500,000 in cryptocurrencies, explaining they came from a pendrive with Bitcoins he had kept.
The purchase of two properties, inconsistencies in his 2025 sworn declaration, and alleged sumptuous renovations incompatible with his declared assets were also questioned.
Pressure on Adorni intensified in recent weeks. A motion of censure against him had accumulated 120 signatures out of the 129 needed in Congress, according to CNN en Español.
On June 26, 2026, Adrián Ravier took office as the new presidential spokesperson, a signal that the government was preparing for the transition. That same day, Karina Milei (the President's sister and a key power broker) presided over meetings at the Casa Rosada (the Argentine White House) with Luis Caputo, Pablo Quirno, Martín Menem, and Diego Santilli to negotiate the replacement.
Diego Santilli emerges as the consensus candidate to assume the Chief of Staff position. Patricia Bullrich (Minister of Security) reportedly pushed for Adorni's exit following disagreements over his performance in the Senate.
According to an opinion column by Ernesto Tenembaum in Infobae, the Adorni case "coexists with an even more delicate situation: the appearance of bundles containing millions of dollars in the dressing room of one of the mansions where Martín Insaurralde lived." (Insaurralde is a politician from the opposition Peronist party, highlighting that corruption allegations cross party lines).
The journalist points out that "the problem is not even limited to the ruling party" and that "a phrase, a weak alibi, finally unites them all: 'Let the Justice system resolve it'."
Alfredo S. Quiroga
