Milei to stand by his man as calls for Adorni’s sacking grow

President Javier Milei intends to stand by Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni and has no intention of sacking him, despite growing pressure and speculation over the official’s future in government. 

Casa Rosada sources within La Libertad Avanza say that Milei intends to remain loyal to the under-fire official. To that end, he will make a point of doing so this Saturday, when a presidential delegation – that includes Adorni – attends a Flag Day ceremony in Rosario.

The only way the situation could change, said the sources, is if Adorni – who is under investigation by the courts – is formally charged with criminal wrongdoing.

Nevertheless, La Libertad Avanza is under considerable pressure from opposition and pro-dialogue lawmakers in Congress, who are seeking to summon Adorni to the Senate for questioning and censure. 

After a fierce back-and-forth, the ruling party successfully managed to delay a vote on the motion for at least a week – putting off a possible vote of no confidence in the official in the process.

'End privileges'

On Thursday, former La Libertad Avanza lawmaker Ramiro Marra issued a scathing open letter in which he called on President Milei to fire his under-fire official and prioritise the ruling party’s future over “personal ties.”

Marra, who was with Milei at the start of his political journey before falling out of favour, criticised the handling of the scandal and said Adorni’s continuation in office put at risk the “electoral contract” that the government entered into with the public at the ballot box.

The former lawmaker said the situation continues to “dominate the agenda, overshadow achievements and erode the most valuable asset of this project, which is its word.”

According to Marra, the current ruling party’s mandate from the people was based on a promise of transparency that is now under scrutiny.

“Argentines did not simply vote for numbers. They voted for the promise to put an end to privileges, to cronyism and to the idea that there are officials who stand above the rest. That was the contract. And that contract is now being called into question,” emphasised Marra.
In one of the letter’s harshest passages, the leader reminded Milei of the limits of his own leadership: “With all due respect: this project is not yours. It does not belong to one person, nor to a family, nor to a circle of trusted associates. This project belongs to the vast majority of Argentines.” 

In conclusion, Marra asked Milei “to make the right decision” to protect the government’s credibility and “the moral authority granted to it by the Argentine people.”

Midweek, rumours started circulating as to potential replacements for Adorni, with Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello speculated to be one of the leading candidates. 

Like Adorni, Pettovello enjoys the full support and confidence of both of the Milei siblings. Her handling of a portfolio encompassing many complex areas – including education, labour, employment and social security – makes her a natural candidate for the role, though her public profile is considerably lower. 

Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, who is seen as having good ties across the administration, is also rumoured to be another potential replacement.

Mounting problems

Last week, Adorni admitted that he hid US$500,000 in savings from tax authorities.

The official told the LN+ channel in an interview that for years, as Argentina suffered chronically high inflation, he and his wife had saved "under the table, like all Argentines."

"We didn't declare it because, at the time, the only way to escape old-style politics was to have undeclared savings," he said, referring to the tax-and-spend policies of previous left-wing governments which were widely blamed for fuelling inflation.

Over years of spiralling prices, Argentines traded their battered local pesos for dollars, which they often hoarded at home, in cash.

"It would never have occurred to me to have 'official' savings at the time," Adorni said.

Adorni is embroiled in a scandal over his big-spending lifestyle, including lavish family holidays and undeclared property purchases for amounts far exceeding his official earnings.

He told LN+ he had "made a mistake" in failing to declare all his assets. "I will pay every last tax I owe, every last fine, all the interest, everything that accrues from this error," he stated.

Adorni says he earned his money from private business activities and cryptocurrency investments before he entered government in December 2023.

Brother under spotlight

Adding to the complications for the Adorni family, a prosecutor on Thursday requested permission to open a preliminary investigation into Francisco Adorni, the Cabinet chief's brother. 

This relates to an accusation of alleged illicit enrichment. The courts are investigating whether the Buenos Aires Province (La Plata) lawmaker, like the national official, deliberately omitted information from his sworn declaration of assets.

The move comes as part of the investigation seeking to trace the evolution of his assets since he entered public service and to verify whether there were any inconsistencies between his declared income, assets and liabilities.

Regulatory bodies and the courts are focusing their attention on the provincial deputy, who paid off a multi-million-peso mortgage in a very short space of time and bought himself a luxury SUV.

Furthermore, the income he declared as an inheritance contradicts the sworn declaration submitted by his brother. 

– TIMES/NA/PERFIL