La Rioja judicial misconduct and appointment controversy

A legal controversy has emerged in the La Rioja federal justice system involving allegations of misconduct and disputed appointments.

Judge Jorge Gamal Abdel Chamía is facing an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and workplace violence filed by judicial employee María Emilia Galván. The complainant alleges incidents of harassment and mistreatment occurred during 2023. Judge Chamía has denied the accusations, describing them as “unbelievable and aberrant lies” and claiming the complaint is a retaliatory maneuver.

Adding to the tension, the appointment of Daniela Belén Herrera Piedrabuena Iturbe as Chief of Staff for the Federal Oral Criminal Court has drawn criticism. The appointment was approved by Judges Chamía and Mario Eduardo Martínez, while Judge José Camilo Quiroga Uriburu dissented. The Union of Employees of the National Justice (UEJN) filed a resource to review the decision, arguing the process bypassed seniority rankings. Herrera Piedrabuena Iturbe is the daughter of Judge Daniel Herrera Piedrabuena, the magistrate currently overseeing the investigation into Judge Chamía. While Herrera Piedrabuena Iturbe has defended her appointment based on merit, the Sindicato de Trabajadores Judiciales de la República Argentina (SITRAJU) has also supported the move, citing her thirteen years of experience and academic credentials.

Recently, the UEJN filed an urgent request for Chamía’s recusal. The union alleges that Chamía’s public comments regarding the employee who accused him of harassment compromise his impartiality, noting he reportedly used derogatory terms to describe the employee in a media interview.