“Ahorramos en negro”: Adorni confirmó que presentó su DD.JJ. ENTREVISTA COMPLETA con José del Río

Overview

Manuel Adorni, chief of staff to the president, explains why he delayed submitting his “sworn statement of initial assets” and later corrections after he was denounced for alleged “illicit enrichment.” He says he filed his 2025 declaration and also corrected declarations for 2023 and 2024. He argues that the timing and the public controversy were driven by legal and procedural requirements—particularly the need to obtain documentation proving that his savings existed before taking public office.

Core defense and timeline

• Adorni argues that the central issue is not whether money was acquired while in government, but whether prosecutors/judicial authorities can verify that his wealth was generated privately before he took office.
• He says his initial “mistake” was not including certain savings in his sworn statements—stating that he had previously been filing asset declarations in his personal life but did not count off-the-books savings.
• In March, he was denounced for illicit enrichment. He says his lawyers advised that the only way to rebut the accusation was to reconstruct the origin of his assets and provide supporting documentation.
• He emphasizes that he only became a public official on December 10, 2023, arguing that the alleged enrichment stems from incorrect or incomplete disclosure rather than criminal conduct.
• He claims he submitted the corrected sworn statements prior to the interview.

How he says the savings were accumulated (private life)

• Adorni describes decades of private-sector work with his wife and says his savings methods were consistent with common practices among Argentinians.
• He states that part of the savings was invested in Bitcoin, starting in 2013 and intensifying in 2014. He cites approximate figures, including investing around $200,000 and earning around $300,000.
• He claims the documentation needed to prove the savings predates his public role comes from crypto “wallets/keys” and blockchain records, which he describes as tamper-proof and preserved over time.
• He also addresses documentation challenges: while he knew the wallets and keys existed, he took time to locate the specific supporting paperwork (including materials stored in a book).

Dispute points addressed publicly

• Indioqua/Caballito house and rental

  • He says a house in Indioqua was rented earlier and that media coverage misrepresented what was owed or what was declared.
  • He attributes confusion to the fact that the property deed was registered in his wife’s name, so it did not appear in his individual sworn statement, even though it was declared separately by her.
  • He states corrections were made and/or are being made.

• Mortgage/transaction confusion

  • He argues that there was misunderstanding about financing and mortgages, saying the structure of a mortgage affected how transactions were interpreted by observers.

• Cash and “in the black” savings

  • He defends crypto as the mechanism for demonstrating prior savings and maintaining evidence for when those assets were generated.

• Credit cards

  • He says journalists compared his expenses to income in a way that incorrectly treated spending data as his income, without properly accounting for household disposable income, including his wife’s earnings.
  • He notes that credit-card spending data is part of a private judicial investigation.

• Matías Tabar contractor

  • He responds to claims tied to an apparent interaction/testimony issue, saying he tried to contact someone to apologize and offer help, but that person allegedly did not respond.
  • He rejects claims that the story is linked to political motives, describing it as gossip or misinformation.

• Retired women property / “little horse” purchase

  • He explains that a friendship-based transaction was used in part because his family faced security problems after attacks.
  • He says the formal deed/mortgage between friends reflected a legal agreement rather than wrongdoing.
  • He denies that media framing implied misconduct.

Why he says he didn’t “answer earlier”

• Adorni says he could not treat media debates as a venue for legal rebuttal.
• He argues the proper response required documentation and submission of corrected sworn statements.
• He says he waited until his supporting evidence was gathered and the amended declarations were ready.

Stance on the government and internal support

• He says the president (Javier Milei), the presidential secretary general (Karina Milei), and the cabinet provided him “unconditional support” from the start.
• He rejects a narrative of conflict with Patricia Bullrich, saying she only repeated what Adorni had already told the president and leadership privately.
• He denies broader political motives behind the attacks, arguing the goal is to destabilize the government rather than clarify facts.

Legal/tax regime discussion

• He addresses the use of a “simplified income tax / tax innocence” framing (as discussed by ARCA), insisting it is legal—not an amnesty or money laundering scheme—and that he is not using it as a shield.
• He claims he will pay any taxes, fines, and interest owed and says his amended returns fall under the general regime.

Wider political and economic remarks

• He rejects claims about cabinet changes, saying any reshuffling depends on the president.
• On the economy, he highlights improvements (GDP, investment, and a de-inflation trajectory) as signs that Argentina is close to ending inflation dynamics, emphasizing investment as key to job creation.
• Regarding future politics (Macri), he says he does not know Macri’s intentions.

Presenter / Contributors

• Manuel Adorni (Chief of Staff)
• José del Río (interviewer)