Overview
- Burford-backed investors asked Judge Loretta Preska to fix a timetable for a contempt motion starting with a January 15 filing, with Argentina’s response proposed for February 19 and a reply on March 5.
- Preska has criticized delays in producing officials’ messages, set a January 10 production deadline, and scheduled court sessions for January 10 and January 29.
- Roughly half of targeted current and former officials have supplied WhatsApp chats and emails, while key figures Luis Caputo and Pablo Quirno declined to provide communications and Sergio Massa has not responded.
- The discovery seeks off‑channel messages to support claims that entities such as the Central Bank, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Enarsa, and YPF operate as the state’s alter ego, which could open a path to asset seizures.
- Argentina maintains it is cooperating as the $16.1 billion first‑instance judgment remains on appeal, and Preska on December 23 paused a separate order to probe YPF assets.