A builder's testimony for unrecorded cash payments opened an investigation into the assets of Argentina's chief of staff, Manuel Adorni, which also includes the acquisition of expensive properties and trips abroad on private jets and in first class. Although the case is in the preliminary stage, it has already generated strong questions about its expenses and political tensions within the Government of Javier Milei, who made criticism of corruption and “caste” one of the central axes of his speech.

First modification: 05/05/2026 - 20:14 Last modification: 05/05/2026 - 20:21

One of the officials closest to President Javier Milei, the current chief of staff and former presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, continues to be at the center of the controversy after it became known in the last few hours that he had paid $245,000 in cash for works on a home that did not initially appear in his asset declaration, until the Argentine Justice began to investigate him for alleged illicit enrichment.

The information comes from the statement before the Prosecutor's Office of the builder who carried out the renovations, who claimed to have received that money without an invoice or formal documentation. For now, this is testimony incorporated into the case, without judicial conclusions.

Adorni's assets are currently under scrutiny following allegations linked to the purchase of properties and trips abroad that would not be consistent with his declared income as a public official.

In this context, the contractor Matías Tabar declared having received the cash payment from the current chief of staff, according to local media.

“Adorni contacted me on WhatsApp, based on recommendations from the neighborhood,” Tabar said in statements to the Argentine newspaper 'Infobae' as he left the Prosecutor's Office.

He also assured that the official was the one who paid for his services, in cash and without receipts.

Properties under the magnifying glass

The witness provided details of the renovations carried out in a house of approximately 400 square meters, which included, among other things, the construction of a swimming pool with an artificial waterfall.

The work also included the remodeling of bathrooms, a full kitchen, and front and rear galleries, as well as the construction of a large grill and a wood-burning oven.

According to the information released, the house would have been purchased in 2024 for about $120,000 through a non-bank loan granted by two female police officers and is located in the country Indio Cuá, a high-end private residential neighborhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

The property would not have been included in his declaration until mid-April, once the scandal began.

Likewise, the investigation, led by prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita, also investigates the purchase of an apartment in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Caballito. In this case, part of the financing would have come from interest-free loans granted by two retired women who, according to local media, claimed not to know the official.

Read alsoMilei's Chief of Staff defends himself against suspicions of corruption when speaking before Congress

Travel and expenses

On the other hand, two family trips are also under study: one by private plane to Punta del Este, Uruguay, and another two weeks to Aruba, where he would have flown first class and stayed in a luxury hotel.

According to the versions circulating in the investigation, these expenses—along with the real estate operations—contrast with the savings declared by Adorni, which fuels suspicions, although still without a judicial determination.

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Although the focus is on the $245,000 for the remodeling of the house, Justice already has a broader map of expenses:

But the investigation data, cited by the local press, also indicate another $335,000 in debts. In combination, Adorni accumulates commitments for more than USD 725,000, according to 'Infobae' from judicial sources.

Defense and political reaction

Adorni denied having committed irregularities and assured that he will demonstrate his financial situation before the Court.

“I did not commit any crime and I am going to prove it in court,” he stated on April 29 in his management report before the Chamber of Deputies.

In relation to his questioned assets, he assured that he had met all the payments for the trips he made with his family and that the national State “does not record any costs” of them.

"The members of this House want to compare private spending with public spending and the activities of my private life with government acts. Neither constitutionally nor criminally nor civilly are they comparable," he said.

The case took on a greater political dimension due to the role he occupies within the current Government. As Chief of Staff and until recently presidential spokesperson, he is one of the figures closest to Milei and one of the main people in charge of communicating and defending official policies.

The president's own reaction also contributed to escalating the conflict. When asked by journalists about the case, Milei responded harshly and went so far as to call them “corrupt,” in what was interpreted as an attempt to discredit the criticism.

"You are corrupt," he responded to press inquiries last week in Congress.

A case in progress

For now, the file is in an initial stage: there are complaints, testimonies and instant media coverage, but there are no firm accusations or judicial resolutions.

However, the case already has a political impact because it calls into question a key official within a government that has built part of its discourse on criticism of corruption and the traditional political “caste”, which amplifies the relevance of the episode.

With EFE and local media

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