José Campagnoli, born on January 3, 1961 (64 years old) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a lawyer, judge, and Federal Prosecutor of the Argentine Nation. He also heads Prosecutor’s Office No. 33 in the Saavedra and Núñez neighborhoods and followed in the footsteps of his father, a former labor judge and member of the Association of Magistrates and Judicial Officials.
A lawyer who was suspended from his post for seven months after an accusation against Lázaro Báez. The massive public support from demonstrators led to a 180-degree turn in the case and his reinstatement: “The massive support and media coverage made it possible to lift the suspension,” Campagnoli said in 2014.
He held several high-profile positions focused on criminal courts, human trafficking, and child prostitution, among others. He has received two awards and became a widower when his wife passed away from cancer. He has five children and served as Federal Prosecutor of Argentina, after graduating in Law from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).
Campagnoli had been removed from his post over accusations involving Lázaro Báez, a former driver implicated in corruption cases and currently serving a prison sentence. Why was he suspended? Why did he receive such strong public support?
Pilot, footballer, and lawyer
Of the three dreams, he only achieved one. José Campagnoli always wanted to be a pilot, something he never managed to do. The same happened with playing football, a passion he replaced with a judicial career. He started working as a bartender at the age of 16, graduated as a lawyer from UBA, and just six months later was already working in the courts as a clerk.
It’s worth noting that in 1979, at the age of 18, he had already entered the judicial system. He started at the very bottom and worked his way up through a career filled with high-profile cases. At 32, in 1993, he was appointed Prosecutor of the Nation in Prosecutor’s Office No. 33 in Saavedra, marking a significant step in his judicial career.
Notable cases he handled
The Spartacus case was one of the many he led, and it was left adrift following the resignation of Judge Norberto Oyarbide, who was accused by Campagnoli of protecting those involved—including members of the federal police. “I’m marked by what happened in the Spartacus case,” he said. The accusation was illicit enrichment, which implicated Oyarbide in links to high-end brothels and pimping networks in Buenos Aires.
Another case involving Campagnoli was the conflict among River Plate’s hooligan factions, where violent episodes and attacks with knives took place. The prosecutor acted swiftly as he heads the Prosecutor’s Office covering Saavedra and Núñez, the neighborhood where River Plate’s stadium is located.
José Manuel Pico, a former president of the Buenos Aires City Council, was accused and sentenced to 14 years in prison after failing to justify his vast wealth. Campagnoli led the prosecution; during questioning, Pico could not explain the origin of his fortune.
The Cabello case also marked a turning point in Campagnoli’s career, after sentencing Sebastián Cabello for manslaughter following a street race in which he ran over a mother and daughter. Campagnoli ordered the trial to be held in a criminal court of instruction—courts that handle the most serious cases—as opposed to a lower-level correctional court.
Suspension
Between 2013 and 2014, Campagnoli’s judicial career was turned upside down following a suspension issued against him. According to the prosecutor’s circle and his peers, this was “censorship” and “political persecution” after he accused Lázaro Báez, a former driver convicted of money laundering. Seven months after the suspension, and following a public demonstration with 341,044 participants, Campagnoli returned to his post after a vote of four in favor and three against.
Recognition
He was awarded a major national honor: “Distinguished Citizen of the City of Buenos Aires.” In 2018, he received the “Konex Award: Diploma of Merit 2018.”
He is the father of five children and says he plays the role of both mother and father following the death of his wife, which he describes as the saddest moment of his life. He continues to lead Prosecutor’s Office No. 33 in Saavedra and Núñez, and has been part of the judiciary since the age of 18. José Campagnoli, who was suspended for seven months and inspired thousands to protest for his return, is an experienced Argentine judge and prosecutor who has led numerous important cases—“Spartacus,” “River Plate hooligans,” and “Cabello”—all of which had significant public and legal impact.