Buenos Aires Herald 
Federal prosecutor Ramiro González has opened a preliminary investigation into La Libertad Avanza (LLA) presidential candidate Javier Milei on allegations of corruption after several former allies publicly denounced that candidacies for the upcoming elections are “for sale” within the coalition.
González cited the “seriousness” of these claims as a reason to open an inquiry and determine whether electoral law has been broken. The first step of the investigation is to call in those making the accusations, including businessman and politician Juan Carlos Blumberg, liberal political leader and former LLA member Carlos Maslatón, and former LLA activist Mila Zurbriggen. They will appear before the court next Tuesday.
After saying these claims were part of a “smear campaign,” Milei commented on the prosecutor’s decision Wednesday evening, welcoming the judiciary’s intervention. “Excellent! Now all those people saying unfounded nonsense will have to go in front of a court and see if they stand by their words,” he tweeted.
The claims
Blumberg accused the coalition’s political organizers Carlos Kikuchi, Sebastián Pareja, and Javier’s sister, Karina Milei, of selling positions in the ballots. “There are people who paid US$50,000 for a counselor position,” Blumberg said in an interview with La Red radio station.
“The most serious part is that they have made a business out of politics.”
A spokesperson for La Libertad Avanza told the Herald the allegations were untrue.
“Blumberg also said he was an engineer,” he said, referring to the controversy that arose 16 years ago after it came to light that Blumberg had lied about his degree. “Of course, it’s a lie.”
Milei contends that Blumberg’s allegations are the product of spite, since he was rejected as a candidate for Buenos Aires province governor.
Milei said he will sue those who claim he is selling candidacies to the highest bidder, while also clarifying that all candidates for La Libertad Avanza have to “self-finance” their campaigns.
“You want to cover a position? Okay, you have to finance your own campaign,” Milei said. “I don’t take one dime out of that.”
Milei also accused other Argentine politicians of funneling taxpayer money into their campaigns. He scornfully refers to career politicians as “the caste.”
-with information from Télam
