New forensic reports and leaked court documents show years of dollar payments from crypto Libra (LIBRA) lobbyist Mauricio Novelli to Javier Milei and his inner circle, well before the memecoin collapsed.
Dollar Payments For A Crypto Scandal
Messages and audios recovered by prosecutors reveal that Novelli financed the payouts with crypto, mainly selling USDT and other assets for cash and then delivering physical dollars labeled as the “usual” amount for Milei and associated influencers: monthly payments of around $2,000 during Milei’s time as deputy, later rising to $4,000 routed to his sister and chief of staff, Karina Milei, once he became president in 2023.
A Long List Of New LIBRA Case FindingsAdditional documents reveal multiple agreements between Novelli and U.S. entrepreneur Hayden Mark Davis, detailing a strategy to leverage Milei’s image and online reach to legitimize Libra.
When Crypto Turmoil Turns Into High Political Stakes
We want to be very clear. Nothing will save them. This evidence confirms the president’s political responsibility and his deliberate involvement. We believe they will have to answer to the courts and this Congress.
The presidency maintains its line that Milei only shared Libra “in good faith” and was not fully informed about the project’s details, while officials dismiss media leaks as biased parts of a flawed case file. The Libra affair hits just as Argentina tries to present itself as a crypto hub, with policymakers debating how far to go in formalizing digital‑asset rules and bank participation.
For traders, the lesson is clear: politically branded tokens like Libra carry extreme risk, while more established crypto and stablecoin rails are likely to remain the preferred instruments for hedging local macro volatility.
Cover image from Perplexity, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview
