Bettina Julieta Angeletti, the wife of Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni, has entered the spotlight, further complicating matters for the ruling party.
She was denounced in court by national deputy Marcela Pagano (Coherencia, formerly La Libertad Avanza) over allegations related to contracts and business links involving her consultancy firm +BE. The 43-year-old business administrator and ontological coach now faces questions about her firm’s relationship with the state.
Pagano’s criminal complaint, filed in Federal Court No. 11 under Judge Ariel Lijo (who President Milei unsuccessfully nominated for the Supreme Court), alleges the possible existence of a conflict of interest and the formation of a presumed network of commercial relations between private companies and state entities within Adorni’s orbit.
As a senior official in President Javier Milei’s government, Adorni – now Cabinet chief and formerly Milei’s spokesperson – oversees several government departments and is a signatory on key documents, including many decrees.
A vocal critic of the so-called political “caste,” which he accuses of abusing power and living off the state, Adorni has recently faced negative headlines after confirming that his wife travelled aboard the presidential plane during Milei’s recent trip to the United States.
The denunciation
Pagano, a former journalist, alleges in her filing that there may be a “triangular circuit of business flows” involving state oil company YPF, private firm National Shipping SA and Angeletti’s +BE consultancy firm.
According to the complaint, YPF has maintained contracts for decades with National Shipping, a company controlled by the Virasoro family and dedicated to maritime transport, particularly of fossil fuels.
The filing states that Angeletti’s consultancy trained managers from the shipping company on three occasions in the past 16 months – November 6 and 23, 2024, and October 3, 2025 – for a total of 6.37 million pesos (around US$4,500).
Pagano argues that this commercial link could constitute an indirect mechanism for returning funds to the Adorni family, given that the Cabinet chief currently represents the state on YPF’s board of directors.
National Shipping SA has responded that its contracts with YPF date back 28 years and noted that Adorni was appointed to the oil company’s board earlier this year – after the training sessions took place.
President Milei took office in December 2023.
Tecnópolis, Grupo Foggia
Pagano’s complaint also includes a chapter related to the concession of the Tecnópolis exhibition grounds, a tender estimated at 183 billion pesos (approximately US$131.2 million) for a 25-year operating period. The process is currently being handled by the State Assets Administration Agency (AABE), which falls under the Cabinet chief’s office.
Among the companies shortlisted is DirecTV Argentina, linked to Grupo Foggia, a private entertainment firm controlled by businessman Marcelo Dionisio. Pagano notes in her filing that the company is a client of +BE, highlighting another potential conflict of interest.
The complaint also states that Dionisio’s partner, Mara Natalia Gorini, is an advisor to Presidential Chief-of-Staff Karina Milei. Gorini served as a director of Grupo Foggia until 2024 and remains linked to the company as a trustee.
Other clients of Angeletti’s firm cited in the filing include Grupo Datco, a technology and telecommunications company that provides services to various state entities, as well as the ARCA tax bureau, AySA water utility, the Central Bank, Banco Nación, Aerolíneas Argentinas and Trenes Argentinos.
Pagano argues that this reinforces the hypothesis of a network of business relationships with state suppliers.
Tenders
Pagano further alleges irregularities in the awarding of government tenders for state communications services – particularly SMS and email messaging – which were approved by Adorni while he simultaneously served as presidential spokesperson and communications secretary.
The national deputy, who has shifted from Milei ally to critic since taking office in late 2023, also questioned the awarding of a 3.65-billion-peso contract (around US$2.62 million) involving the tech firms ATX SA and Area Tech SA.
According to the filing, the companies are linked: Pablo Javier Casal, president of Area Tech, previously worked for Rubén Santiago Ward, head of ATX. Both firms are also reportedly connected to Lugalu SA and share an office building in the Parque Patricios neighbourhood, Pagano alleges.
The complaint also points to potential links between Tsoft Informática SAS and Tecnosoftware SA, which are said to be controlled by the same family – raising the possibility of “simulated competition” within a tender.
Investigating assets
Raising questions about possible illicit enrichment, Pagano has requested an investigation into the evolution of Adorni’s assets. Although his public salary has remained frozen at 2023 levels, his declared assets have reportedly increased.
The filing also notes the existence of debts with four private creditors (data available publicly), including relatives of the official.
Pagano argues that the alleged scheme could resemble the “Hotesur” and “Los Sauces” cases, in which businesses owned by the Kirchner family were allegedly used to channel payments from state contractors.
The federal courts must now determine whether Adorni’s commercial links to companies involved in state business constitute legitimate private activity or potential conflicts of interest and irregularities.
– TIMES/NA/PERFIL
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