Argentine official Insaurralde spent $20 million over income, audit finds

A forensic accounting report commissioned by specialists from the Supreme Court and party experts indicates that former Lomas de Zamora mayor and Buenos Aires chief of staff Martín Insaurralde spent $20 million more than his declared income over a 14-year period. The audit also found that Insaurralde declared lower consumption levels to the tax authorities in 2020 and 2022, suggesting an attempt to make his finances appear consistent.

The 618-page study, accessed by La Nación, determined that Insaurralde's ex-wife, Jésica Cirio, also had expenditures exceeding her available resources at the close of fiscal years 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023. The report's authors noted that this represents the minimum proven spending, as missing documentation could further increase the discrepancy between income and expenses.

Details of the expenditures include cash payments for trips to Europe, private flights booked via WhatsApp, the purchase of two cars in a single year, and a company, Armando J. Ríos SA, which allegedly financed the family's travels. The investigation, led by federal judge Luis Armela, is looking into allegations of illicit enrichment and money laundering against Insaurralde and Cirio.

Prosecutor Sergio Mola is reviewing the audit's findings, which he considers incomplete, to gather additional evidence. He plans to request new interrogations for Insaurralde and Cirio, as well as for family members identified as straw men. Mola may also include the estimated $10 million found in videos recorded in a dressing room, purportedly belonging to the couple, in the charges against them. The case is set to transition to newly appointed judge Tomás Rodríguez Ponte.