Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni is facing a new line of scrutiny – and is attempting to brush it off.
Hours after reports of a new complaint emerged Thursday, Adorni appeared alongside President Javier Milei in a photo posted on X, joking about his own position: “The President of the Nation alongside the brand-new Cabinet Chief who will replace the current Cabinet Chief this weekend. End.”
The post signalled business as usual at the top of government to political onlookers, even as the allegations around the top official mount. Milei has publicly defended him more than once in recent days and lashed out at journalists speculating over his possible removal.
The latest complaint against Adorni, filed by national deputy Marcela Pagano – a former member of the ruling La Libertad Avanza bloc who now sits in the single-member Coherencia caucus – calls for an investigation into alleged irregularities in public tender tied to the concession of the Tecnópolis exhibition centre and venue on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.
Pagano’s complaint raises questions about possible “simulated competition” in tenders for mass messaging services, as well as potential conflicts of interest involving Adorni’s wife, Bettina Julieta Angeletti.
According to the filing, contracts worth more than 3.65 billion pesos (US$2.62 million) were awarded through a tender launched by the Communication & Media Secretariat for SMS messages, emails and automated calls. The filing also points to price variations across similar tenders and the repeated participation of linked firms.
A separate process involving the concession of Tecnópolis, under state oversight between 2025 and 2026 and valued at more than 183.3 billion pesos (US$131.6 million), is also under scrutiny.
The complaint alleges that, if proven, the facts could amount to offences including fraud against public administration, incompatible negotiations, abuse of authority, criminal association and illicit enrichment.
The complaint adds to a growing list of legal and political challenges facing Adorni, who has already been reported for alleged illicit enrichment.
Difficult stretch
The accusations mark the latest chapter in a difficult stretch for Adorni, one of the most visible and influential figures in Milei’s administration. As both presidential spokesperson and Cabinet chief, he plays a central role in shaping the government’s message.
His recent troubles began with revelations that his wife, Bettina Julieta Angeletti, had travelled to New York on the presidential plane, prompting criticism over the use of state resources. Reports then emerged of a private jet trip to Punta del Este earlier this year, raising further questions about the family’s financing and who funded the trip.
Attention soon shifted to Adorni’s personal assets, with allegations of an undeclared property in a gated community in Exaltación de la Cruz, around 80 kilometres from Buenos Aires, with maintenance fees (expensas) reportedly registered in his wife’s name and a luxury vehicle not included in official filings.
The focus has now moved to potential conflicts of interest, deepening concerns. Pagano’s complaint, alongside earlier reporting, points to links between Angeletti’s consultancy firm +BE and companies with state contracts, including firms pre-selected for the Tecnópolis concession alongside DirecTV Argentina.
Angeletti, a business administrator and coach, founded +BE, which is accused of maintaining commercial ties with companies that also have dealings with the state.
A key part of Pagano’s complaint is an alleged “triangular” relationship involving state oil company YPF, shipping firm National Shipping SA, and +BE, which reportedly provided paid training services to the company.
The complaint argues this could represent an indirect financial loop benefiting Adorni’s family, especially since he now sits on YPF’s board, even though the companies involved say their contracts predate his appointment. Additional scrutiny comes from +BE’s reported links to other firms connected to state contracts or tenders – including those tied to the Tecnópolis concession.
‘Caste’ behaviour
For critics, the Adorni sequence has begun to erode the government’s central anti “caste” narrative, exposing behaviour at odds with its pledge to dismantle privilege and opaque dealings.
The pressure has also moved beyond media scrutiny. Adorni was a central target of opposition criticism in the Senate this week and could be called to present a formal management report in the coming weeks.
Opposition lawmakers are pushing for his questioning in the lower house Chamber of Deputies.
Former president Alberto Fernandez, Milei’s predecessor in office and a common target for Adorni’s attacks against caste-like behaviour in the past, said Friday that the official was getting a taste of his own medicine.
“Adorni’s problem is that he preached morality so much that any slip-up comes back to haunt him. He was very cruel in judging others,” the veteran Peronist said in a radio interview with Splendid AM990. “For someone who preaches and judges others so much, he’s in trouble.”
– TIMES/PERFIL/NA
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