Manuel Adorni Resignation Jolts Milei Cabinet

BUENOS AIRES — Manuel Adorni resignation jolted President Javier Milei’s government on Friday, when the president’s chief of staff and one of his closest lieutenants stepped down amid pressure over alleged corruption and a lavish lifestyle. The move came as Milei’s administration was trying to hold political backing for its harsh spending cuts.

Adorni was no ordinary official. The former Milei spokesperson had been the public face of the anti-corruption campaign and the administration’s aggressive austerity drive since 2023. His exit now adds fresh political strain to a president who is still trying to protect a clean-government image in an Argentina battered by inflation and economic pain.

Manuel Adorni resignation leaves Milei without a trusted ally

Adorni had long been described as one of Milei’s most trusted aides. Last year, Milei appointed him chief of staff and gave him broad influence in negotiations with provincial governors and other congressional players. That role matters. A lot. In Argentina’s often-fragmented political system, the chief of staff can decide whether a government agenda moves forward or stalls in parliament.

In his resignation letter, posted to social media, Adorni wrote that for the first time since Dec. 10, 2023, he had gone against Milei’s wishes. He also thanked the president for the trust and support he received during what he called a “unfair, painful and exhausting” process for him and his family.

The letter marked the end of a period that had already raised many questions. Not just about politics, but about style. Pressure on Adorni built after a series of local media reports highlighted his personal spending, property purchases and luxury trips that appeared to clash with his official salary.

Lavish spending allegations and a federal probe

Federal prosecutors are now investigating Adorni on suspicion of illicit enrichment, tied to spending patterns that appeared out of step with his public statements as a government official. According to material reported by The New York Times, the allegations grew out of a pattern of spending that seemed sharply at odds with the criticism Milei and Adorni had leveled at Argentina’s left-populist elite.

Adorni has denied any wrongdoing. But the denials were weakened after local media reported that his wife flew on the presidential plane to a conference in New York in March, even though she was not a government official. Days later, video emerged showing Adorni and his family boarding a private jet to Punta del Este, an upscale beach resort in Uruguay.

Other reports said Adorni bought two properties after Milei took office: an apartment in Buenos Aires and a weekend house outside the city. Photos from luxury vacations also circulated, including a trip to Aruba that was said to have been paid for in cash. That fueled new questions, especially because public wealth filings showed he was earning about $2,600 a month through late last year.

Milei backed him, but the pressure never eased

For weeks, Milei kept defending his aide. In an interview with local media during a visit to Spain last week, he said, “Manuel is innocent.” Milei also said he stood behind his ministers “until the end.” The comments showed how close the two men were, but also how much political risk the president was taking on himself.

The problem is that the scandal had already damaged the government’s image. Public trust has slipped, Milei’s room to bargain with political allies has narrowed, and the message of fiscal restraint sounds less convincing when Argentines are still trying to keep up with prices that move faster than wages. In politics, perception often cuts deeper than numbers. And here, perception has not favored the palace.

Karina Milei, the president’s sister and chief adviser, thanked Adorni for his “tireless work” and described him as a libertarian party member who was “honest, valuable and loved.” But praise does not answer the main question: who will replace Adorni as chief of staff, and can that person contain a shock that has already spread to the center of government?

For now, the seat remains empty. Milei’s government will need to move quickly, because every day without political certainty only extends the shadow of a scandal that has already weakened one of the main pillars of his power.