New Scandal Hits Javier Milei: Investigation into Cabinet Chief’s Million-Dollar Expenses Despite ‘Libertarian’ Austerity Claims

Once again, the disconnect between the rhetoric of «libertarian» austerity and the actions of Javier Milei has come to light after the Argentine president decided to retain his Cabinet Chief, Manuel Adorni, despite a flood of evidence linking him to a case of illicit enrichment under investigation by the judiciary.

While the far-right president traveled to Los Angeles as part of a new tour of the United States, his sister and Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei, had to deal with the impact triggered by the revelations of contractor Matías Tabar, who renovated Adorni’s home in the exclusive Indio Cua Country Club in Buenos Aires.

Tabar went to the Comodoro Py courts to testify in the case against the Cabinet Chief for alleged enrichment and before prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita detailed the lavish lifestyle of a public servant who advocates for austerity: waterfall, jacuzzi, heated pool, and the $250,000 spent on the renovation of the residence, expenses that could not be justified by a public salary and a class A tax regime with an annual gross income limit of $10,277,988.13 (USD 7,200) and a monthly payment of $42,386.74 (USD 31).

Adorni’s Salary Doesn’t Justify Million-Dollar Expenses

The figures being reviewed by Argentine justice are striking and present a challenging scenario for the libertarian administration. According to estimates being assembled by prosecutors, Adorni and his wife, Bettina Angeletti, have amassed payment obligations totaling at least $840,000 over the last two years, as reported by Página/12.

This amount includes the purchase of an apartment in the Miró neighborhood downtown and the previously mentioned house in the country club, along with respective renovations that reportedly total about $450,000 already spent, primarily in cash, plus another debt of $335,000 due soon. To this mountain of expenses, add trips to Punta del Este, New York, Madrid, Aruba, Bariloche, and Iguazú, which round out an additional $35,000. The question arises from these revelations: How did Adorni afford all this with a salary that barely surpassed 3.5 million pesos (USD 2,100) until January?

«Adorni is Javier Milei’s Cashier»

The explanation, according to Deputy Marcela Pagano, points to systemic corruption. “Adorni is Javier Milei’s cashier,” asserted the journalist in statements to C5N, expanding on a complaint she already lodged with justice.

Pagano’s hypothesis, who called for the Cabinet Chief’s arrest, indicates that Adorni has enriched himself as a close associate of the presidential siblings, receiving payments for meetings with then-candidate Milei before the 2023 elections.

According to Página/12, this theory gains traction with revelations regarding alleged fraud involving the cryptocurrency $LIBRA, stemming from leaks from the cell phone of crypto broker Mauricio Novelli. There, Adorni is noted as the main speaker at the Tech Forum 2025 event, with messages indicating he had to pay for that spot, replicating a similar situation at the 2024 forum where business leaders reported being asked for money just to meet with the president.

“There’s no doubt he was taking his cut,” Pagano asserted, describing how the now-Cabinet Chief collected payments from at least five of the country’s most influential businessmen.

New Investigations Against Adorni

Federal judge Ariel Lijo ordered on Wednesday the analysis of communications between Marcelo Grandio, close to the Cabinet Chief, and Horacio Silva, president of Imhouse SA, the production company that signed six contracts with Public Television.

The aim of this measure is to determine who they communicated with on key dates regarding the contracts, «to assess if there was any type of interference or influence«.

Given this scenario, deputy Esteban Paulón, in conversation with Página/12, warned about a “corruption circuit” where Adorni would play a central role and referred to the recent controversy of overtime pay supposedly issued with reserved funds from the Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE), which put the Cabinet Chief in a tight spot when journalists questioned him during a press conference.

“Governments that bind themselves to narratives of austerity yet pay with extra salaries to appease their staff,” Paulón summarized.

Amid this landscape, the only certainty is that Adorni remains in his position, despite being under scrutiny by justice for alleged illicit enrichment, while Milei continues to enforce cuts to social programs as part of his «libertarian» austerity policy.

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