In 2023, Manuel Adorni got the Martin Fierro Digital in the category “Better Twitterer”, in a ceremony organized by APTRA, the entity that has awarded the most traditional awards in the Argentine audiovisual industry since 1959 and that, since 2018, extended its reach to native content on digital platforms. These awards seek to recognize the most influential figures and productions in the online ecosystem, incorporating metrics such as reach, interaction, public impact and ability to generate agendas on social networks, along with the evaluation of specialized journalists who make up the association.
The category “Best Twitterer” —centered on the rsocial ed— rewards profiles with a strong presence, volume of followers and the ability to install topics in the public conversation. In this framework, the current Chief of Staff of the government of Javier Milei He had previously established himself as one of the most visible users of the Argentine political debate on networks, with publications with a direct, ironic and confrontational tone, which achieved wide circulation and media impact. His growth as a digital figure was sustained for years, until he achieved such notoriety that positioned him as a reference within that universe, a condition that explains his selection as winner.
The recognition also occurred at a pivotal moment: a few days after his arrival as the main spokesperson for the Presidency was confirmed, which amplified the political and media significance of the award. The combination of prior visibility on networks, defined communication style and growing centrality in the public scene ended up consolidating the arguments for its consecration within the shortlist.
During the ceremony, the libertarian official kept a speech brief and in line with his style. Upon receiving the statuette, he first thanked the organization and his immediate environment. “First, thank you APTRA, of course, it is what is appropriate. Thank you for the award,” he expressed, and added: “Thanks to my family who supports me in all of them. To my wife Betina…”, in a concise message that he then closed with the synthetic imprint that characterizes his public interventions. “If I want, crack. If I want, to the criminals, to the corrupt, to the jets, to all that is not good for Argentina on one side and to the good people on the other. Thank you.”
However, starting in February of this year, a sequence of episodes starring the winner of the golden APTRA statuette combined various questions, ranging from the use of State resources, private trips and doubts about his assets, with open investigations and pending criminal complaints.
The turning point was his participation in the so-called “Argentina Week” in New York, an official trip that he attended with President Milei. The controversy broke out when it was confirmed that his wife had also traveled on the presidential plane, Bettina Angeletti, who does not hold any public office. Adorni himself admitted the situation and justified it in public statements: “I’m coming to New York for a week to relax; I wanted you to accompany me.” The inclusion of his partner generated requests for reports in Congress and complaints of possible misuse of State property, in part because current regulations limit the use of official aircraft to strictly public functions. Days later, the official acknowledged the error and apologized, stating that “it was a terrible decision,” although he maintained that “it was not a crime.”
In parallel, another episode came to light that aggravated the situation: a trip to Punta del Este made on a private plane with his family. This transfer, whose cost was estimated at around $10,000, was also under judicial investigation to establish who financed it and whether it is compatible with the official’s declared income. The existence of that flight, added to the New York case, gave rise to multiple complaints for alleged illicit enrichment, embezzlement of funds and other criminal charges promoted by political leaders.
The axis of the controversies then extended to his personal assets. Amidst the criticism, Adorni publicly assured: “I built my assets in the 25 years that I was in the private sector, I have nothing to hide,” although he avoided providing specific details, alleging the existence of open legal cases. However, different information pointed out inconsistencies or doubts regarding his assets. On the one hand, a house linked to its surroundings was mentioned in the country Indio Cuá Golf Clubin Exaltación de la Cruz, reported in complaints for alleged illicit enrichment. On the other hand, the official himself acknowledged residing in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Caballito, although he referred to his sworn statement to verify all of his properties.
Subsequent journalistic investigations deepened these doubts by revealing real estate transactions under judicial analysis. Among them, the purchase of an apartment valued at about $230,000, financed largely through a private loan granted by the retired sellers themselves, as well as the existence of other properties or mortgages that would not have been initially explained in their asset declaration. These revelations fueled suspicions about the correspondence between his level of income as a civil servant and the volume of his assets, an issue that is currently part of the ongoing investigations.
Together, the episodes of the official flight to New York, the private trip to Punta del Este and the doubts about his assets set up a scenario of high political and judicial exposure for Adorni. While the official insists that he did not commit crimes and attributes the complaints to political motivations, Justice continues to analyze documentation, expenses and statements to determine if there were irregularities in the use of public resources or in the evolution of his assets.
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