Milei’s cabinet chief resigns amid corruption scandal in Argentina

Manuel Adorni resigned as Javier Milei’s cabinet chief on Saturday, dealing the president a new political blow just as corruption allegations had begun to corrode one of the government’s most important faces. The departure cuts into Milei’s claim that his movement is morally different from the political class he vowed to displace.

Adorni was not a symbolic aide. In Argentina, the cabinet chief coordinates ministerial tasks, helps manage the administration and the budget, oversees relations with Congress and the provinces, and can preside over cabinet meetings when the president is absent. That makes the post central to Milei’s ability to move legislation, maintain discipline inside the executive branch and keep a volatile governing coalition from fraying.

The scandal that forced Adorni out had been building for months. He came under scrutiny over allegations tied to personal spending, several real estate purchases and his wife’s multiple contracts with the state. One investigation focused on the purchase of an apartment in Caballito for US$230,000. Adorni had already become a lightning rod by March, when the controversy had spread from private enrichment claims to questions about how close Milei’s inner circle had come to the behavior the president campaigned against.

The political damage was visible before the resignation. On April 29, Adorni told Congress he would not resign and said he was taking responsibility. Milei publicly defended him, saying he was innocent and would not be removed. That defense now leaves the president exposed to accusations that his anti-corruption rhetoric did not reach his own top operator.

Public opinion had also begun to turn. A May survey found only 39% of voters had a positive image of Milei, down from 53% a little more than a year earlier. Another poll found almost 80% of respondents thought the scandal was hurting the administration’s anti-caste message, more than 60% said it worsened their view of the government, and almost 70% believed Adorni was guilty.

Reaction to the resignation split along familiar political lines. Figures in Milei’s orbit thanked Adorni for his service, while opposition voices criticized him for remaining in office during an illicit-enrichment investigation. PRO said the departure was the right outcome and urged the government to refocus on its agenda. Victoria Villarruel also reacted with irony on social media.

The broader concern for Milei is institutional, not just personal. Guillermo Francos left as cabinet chief and Adorni replaced him in November 2025, after Nicolás Posse had already been removed in May 2024. Three chiefs of staff in less than two years point to recurring instability at the top of the executive branch, and they raise the question of whether this is an isolated personnel failure or the beginning of a wider credibility crisis inside Milei’s government.