Argentine cabinet chief Manuel Adorni resigns after months of corruption allegations

The resignation

Cabinet chief Manuel Adorni announced his resignation on Saturday night, posting a letter on X. He said he was going against the president's wishes for the first time since December 10, 2023. Adorni stated he was leaving peacefully and with a clear conscience, and that he had not participated in any act of corruption.

The scandal had dominated Argentine headlines since March, sapping the government's popularity. Adorni had served as Milei's spokesperson from the start of the administration and was appointed cabinet chief in November 2025.

Allegations and admission

Adorni was under federal investigation for illicit enrichment after his spending, including a first-class holiday to Aruba and a private jet flight to Uruguay, did not match his declared income. He initially insisted he built his wealth before entering government and that all family trips used private funds.

In early June, however, he acknowledged on broadcaster LN+ that he had hidden about half a million dollars in savings from tax authorities, later correcting his 2023 and 2024 declarations. He claimed the money came from legitimate crypto investments and cash found in his late father's apartment, a justification that sparked widespread derision.

All Argentines save off the books.

Milei's stance shifts

President Milei defended Adorni for months, telling La Nacion in May that he would not execute an innocent person. As recently as Friday, Milei told a Spanish newspaper he would only remove Adorni if a court found him guilty. Hours before the resignation, he said he believed in Adorni's honesty.

If they found him guilty, I'll kick him out myself.

Political damage

Adorni's departure is the most damaging blow yet from a series of corruption allegations against a government that campaigned on stamping out endemic graft. Milei has also faced revived questions about his role in a possible cryptocurrency scam last year, and prosecutors have charged six former officials over graft at the disability agency.

A May poll by Opina Argentina showed 39% of voters have a positive image of Milei, a sharp drop from 53% a year earlier. Milei's sister and chief of staff Karina Milei issued a rare statement respecting Adorni's decision, while the president now faces the challenge of restoring momentum for his free-market reform agenda.