Manuel Adorni Resigns Amid Argentina Corruption Scandal

BUENOS AIRES — Manuel Adorni, President Javier Milei’s chief of staff in Argentina, resigned on Saturday local time amid scrutiny over corruption allegations and a lavish lifestyle, Reuters reported. His departure hits one of Milei’s longest-serving and most influential confidants.

The move comes as Milei’s government is already under pressure from a scandal that has damaged its anti-corruption image. Adorni played a key role in negotiations with governors and political allies in parliament, so his resignation could disrupt the Casa Rosada’s political machinery.

The scandal that weakened Milei’s trusted aide

Adorni was no stranger inside Milei’s inner circle. Before being appointed chief of staff last year, he served as the president’s spokesman and became a public face of the administration’s hard-line austerity drive and anti-corruption campaign. That closeness made his downfall feel even heavier for Milei.

Over the past few months, Adorni drew criticism after local media reported private spending that appeared out of step with his official salary. The scrutiny piled up fast. A family trip on a private jet to the Punta del Este resort in Uruguay, a trip to New York with his wife aboard the presidential plane, and reports of two property purchases since Milei took office all fed the controversy.

The problem was not just optics. Federal prosecutors also investigated Adorni on suspicion of illicit enrichment. The probe stemmed from alleged excessive spending and property purchases seen as unusual. Adorni denied any wrongdoing.

Cash admissions and political pressure

Public pressure grew when Adorni finally acknowledged buying dollars on Argentina’s black market and keeping savings worth $500,000 out of the tax authorities’ reach. In Argentina, that practice is common during crises, but it is still technically illegal and often goes unpunished. Adorni insisted the money was obtained legally, including through crypto investments.

The admission widened the gap between the government’s message of thrift and what people saw in practice. Milei has repeatedly railed against state waste. So when one of his top aides was accused of living lavishly, the political backlash was inevitable. For Argentines whose wages have been outpaced by inflation, the government’s message looked harder to trust.

“Manuel is innocent,” Milei told local media while in Spain last week. “I will keep defending my ministers until the end.”

That support was not enough to stop the fallout. In his resignation letter posted on social media, Adorni wrote that for the first time since Dec. 10, 2023, he was going against Milei’s wishes. He also thanked the president for the trust and support he said had meant a great deal to him and his family during what he called an “unfair, painful and exhausting” process.

What this means for the government and Congress talks

Adorni’s departure is not just another personnel change. He was Milei’s main link in talks with provincial governors and other political players in Congress. That means the government may find it harder to secure support for the spending cuts and reforms at the center of Milei’s agenda.

Karina Milei, the president’s sister and close adviser, also thanked him. She described Adorni as “tireless,” “honest” and “loved” within the libertarian party. But praise does not answer the biggest question: who will replace him.

So far, there is no official name for a new chief of staff. The government has also offered no sign that the shake-up will trigger a broader reshuffle around the president. One thing is clear, Reuters said: Adorni’s resignation adds to Milei’s political challenges at a time when the economy remains fragile and public trust is still being tested.

From here, attention will turn to two things: who gets the chief of staff post and how the federal investigation unfolds. Those decisions could determine whether the Adorni scandal ends as a personal crisis or turns into a wider political burden for Milei.