Milei announces new chief of staff; predecessor resigned after illicit enrichment scandal

President of Argentina, Javier Milei (center), poses for a photo with his sister, Karina Milei, secretary of the presidency, and Diego Santilli, on June 28, 2026.
Disclosure/Javier Milei no Diego Santilli, current Minister of the Interior, will take office on Tuesday (30), according to Milei.
Favorite g1 on Google and follow the main news of the day
✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp
Milei announced Santilli as the new chief of staff on Sunday, when he said on social media that he met with him and Karina Milei, his sister and general secretary of the presidency, for a transition. The announcement came one day after Manuel Adorni, Santilli's predecessor, resigned after being the target of investigations by the Argentine Court for illicit enrichment and concealment of assets (read more below).
In a statement on Sunday, Santilli thanked Milei for the opportunity and said that he will help the Argentine president "get the country out of the hole".
"I take on the most important challenge of my life with the commitment to continue working so that this government continues to make history. (...) I will give All of me so that this government continues to advance the structural reforms that Argentina has needed for decades", said Santilli on social media.
Now on g1
Investigated by the courts, Manuel Adorni resigns
The chief of staff of the Argentine government, Manuel Adorni, left his role this Saturday (27) because he was involved in a scandal for alleged illicit enrichment and concealment of assets. He had also resigned from his position as government spokesman days before.
Adorni himself published a letter of resignation on his social networks, confirming his departure. "Thank you for your trust, Mr. President. It was a true honor", wrote the now former employee.
Adorni is one of the figures closest to Milei and recently admitted to having hidden 500 thousand dollars (around R$2.6 million) in his declarations of assets, in a case that put him in the crosshairs of the courts and the opposition.
Miguel Adorni, spokesperson for the Milei government. Photo from May 2026.
REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta
He stated that these were "undeclared" savings from investments in cryptocurrencies between 2014 and 2018. However, this contradicted previous statements he made to the Argentine Congress: in April, he told parliamentarians that "there was never any concealment" of his assets.
The case is investigated by the Argentine Federal Court along with complaints about the purchase and renovation of properties for hundreds of thousands of dollars, in a scandal that has a new chapter every week.
Adorni resisted in office with the support of the president and presented explanations considered insufficient. Milei tried to keep him until the last moment and, on Friday morning (26), during a visit to Spain, the Argentine president even stated that he would only fire him if the Court found him guilty of corruption.
In the letter, Adorni thanked Milei: "Thank you. Thank you for understanding the reasons and for understanding me: for the first time since that December 10, 2023, I am going against your wishes. Thank you for finally accepting my resignation from this time."
Adorni, 46, started in government as presidential spokesman in 2023 and became head of Cabinet last November.

Source: G1