LIBRA phone logs link Milei adviser, boost Argentina fraud probe risk

A New York Times report, citing an Argentine federal prosecutor, says phone logs show Argentine President Javier Milei made seven calls on LIBRA’s launch night (Feb 14, 2025) to Mauricio Novelli, a key LIBRA backer, and also contacted two senior advisers, including Karina Milei. LIBRA was promoted by Milei on X and briefly surged to a market cap above $4B before collapsing by over 90% within hours, amid allegations that insiders drained about $87M of liquidity. The fallout reportedly includes roughly $250M in investor losses, fraud charges, and an ongoing federal criminal probe. New details add pressure: WhatsApp audio and draft documents allegedly reference “usual” monthly payments to Milei and payments tied to Karina, plus a $1.5M scheme linked to Milei publicly naming Hayden Davis as a presidential adviser. The report notes there is still no evidence that Milei agreed to or received the referenced payments. Although Milei was cleared by an anti-corruption office in June 2025 for posting personally, the renewed LIBRA phone-log evidence could trigger authorities to revisit the case. Novelli’s lawyer argues the device may have been tampered with in custody and seeks to exclude the evidence. For traders, fresh LIBRA phone logs increase headline and legal overhang for the token and similar politically/insider-linked meme plays, raising volatility risk around liquidity, exchange listings, and any potential court-driven developments.