Milei appoints Diego Santilli as chief of cabinet after Adorni resigns over corruption probe

Argentine President Javier Milei moved quickly to fill the vacancy left by his departing chief of cabinet, naming Diego Santilli to the post on Sunday, 28 June 2026. Santilli, a 59-year-old veteran of the PRO party founded by former president Mauricio Macri, had been serving as interior minister. His appointment ends a four-month political crisis that had paralysed Congress and threatened the government's legislative agenda.

The scandal that brought down Adorni

Manuel Adorni, 46, resigned on Saturday after months of revelations about his personal finances. The scandal erupted in March when it emerged that Adorni had included his wife, Betina Angeletti, on a presidential trip to the United States and had taken private flights with his family to the Uruguayan resort of Punta del Este. On 10 June, Adorni admitted hiding $500,000 in his sworn asset declarations, attributing the sum to cryptocurrency investments made between 2014 and 2018. A federal investigation into alleged illicit enrichment followed, and opposition lawmakers pushed for a censure motion.

“The endless media attacks I have endured have led me to ask you to accompany me this time, so that I can close this cycle in order to protect myself and my family.”

Santilli's appointment and political implications

Santilli is the fourth chief of cabinet since Milei took office in December 2023. His selection strengthens the PRO party, the government's main parliamentary ally, which had threatened to support the opposition's censure motion unless Adorni was removed. Santilli's experience includes stints as vice-chief of government of Buenos Aires (2015–2021), security minister of the city (2018–2021), and national deputy and senator. He had been leading negotiations with provincial governors as interior minister since November 2025.

“I take on the most important challenge of my life with the commitment to continue working so that this government keeps making history.”

Reactions from allies and opposition

Former president Mauricio Macri welcomed the appointment, saying it would help "recover some of the tranquillity the country needs and allow economic reforms to advance as soon as possible." Senator Patricia Bullrich, another PRO figure in the government, pledged congressional support. Opposition deputy Kelly Olmos was blunt: "Adorni is leaving and that's good because he's a thief." Karina Milei, the president's sister and secretary-general of the presidency, expressed respect for Adorni's decision, calling the situation "difficult, and undeserved."

What comes next

Santilli will be sworn in on Tuesday, 30 June, at 16:00 local time. The ceremony was announced by Milei on social media alongside a photograph of himself, Santilli, and Karina Milei. The new chief of cabinet faces the immediate task of unblocking a legislative agenda stalled since March and restoring confidence in an administration rattled by the scandal.