Ex-lawmaker José Luis Espert ordered to stand trial on money-laundering and graft charges

Former La Libertad Avanza lawmaker José Luis Espert has been ordered to stand trial on charges of money-laundering and illegal enrichment, according to a court ruling in San Isidro. The court placed a lien of a billion pesos on Espert's assets and banned him from leaving the country. The decision comes in the wake of an investigation into a US$200,000 payment received by Espert in 2020 from Argentine businessman Federico 'Fred' Machado, who is currently detained in the United States and faces money-laundering and drug-trafficking charges in US courts.

Espert's accountant, Mariano Alejandro Cosentino, is also facing trial for his alleged role in the money-laundering scheme. Espert had previously submitted a 141-page writ in court, requesting his acquittal and arguing that the payment was a legitimate business consultancy contract signed by a notary and annotated by the Argentine state.

However, prosecutors dispute this claim, alleging that the payment was a money-laundering maneuver. Espert himself posted on his X social media account, stating that the payment was made to his account under his name, suggesting a motive to hide the source of the funds.

The ruling came after the San Martín Federal Appeals Court rejected Espert's attempts to halt the investigation, including his requests to quash evidence and disqualify prosecutors for potential bias. The allegations against Espert first emerged in 2025, leading to his withdrawal from the candidacy for representing Buenos Aires Province.