Original article: Extrabajadora de Camila Flores revela pagos en efectivo y “trabajo irregular”: Fiscalía sigue la ruta de la plata 

Former Employee of Senator Camila Flores Exposes Cash Payments and Unconventional Labor: Prosecutors Trace the Money Trail

A new testimony has emerged in the investigation against Senator Camila Flores (RN) for alleged tax fraud, following revelations from a former employee detailing how cash payments were made and the uncontracted labor conditions in her household. Meanwhile, prosecutors are tracing the money trail that Flores is accused of misappropriating, which supposedly involved part of the salaries of her advisors, a practice internally referred to as the “Flores Fee”.

The inquiry began after an anonymous complaint claimed that during her time as a deputy, Flores allegedly “demanded” that a portion of the salaries her aides received—funded by Congress—be handed over in cash to cover personal expenses. This situation reportedly lasted for at least seven years, amounting to nearly $300 million.

Last Wednesday, agents from the OS9 of Carabineros and the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of Valparaíso executed a search and seizure at Flores’ residence in Viña del Mar and at her offices in the National Congress, leading to the seizure of her institutional computer, personal phone, accounting documentation, and data extraction from the Chamber’s servers. Regional prosecutor Claudia Perivancich requested the lifting of the senator’s bank account confidentiality, asserting that it is essential to understand «the flow of income and expenditure, behavior patterns, analyze whether the former corresponds with her declared wages, and determine if there are any transfer relationships between the accused and other investigated parties».

Unconventional Labor and Cash Payments

As the investigation progressed, testimony from Patricia López surfaced, who claimed to have worked as a caregiver for Flores for nine months, in a situation she describes as “irregular labor”.

In an interview with Chilevisión, López accurately described the dynamics she experienced after being hired by the senator following her medical discharge postpartum. According to her account, not only did she take care of the child from about a week or 15 days old, but she also acted as “the supervisor of the caregivers,” mainly sourced from the Naval Hospital, responsible for finding other women to cover night shifts. The common denominator among them, she noted, was the absence of a work contract and exclusive cash payments, without tax receipts or withholdings. “This is irregular work, and they know it perfectly well,” she stated.

“I requested my weekly payment as is customary for caregivers,” she recounted, adding that during the job interview, Flores informed her that the position was without a contract and payment would be made solely in cash.

López specified that, due to the lack of formal documentation, the only proof the workers had was a simple slip they signed each weekend upon receiving payment, which remained with the Flores family. “They kept the receipt,” she claimed.

She noted that evidence corroborating their professional relationship includes WhatsApp messages exchanged with the senator and with a person identified as “Mr. Percy,” in addition to a record book from the concierge of the building where the senator resided.

@chilevisiontv 🔴 We spoke with Patricia López, a former employee of Camila Flores who cared for the senator’s daughter for 9 months. The caregiver stated that during her time working with her, no contract was made, she was paid in cash, and only a slip was signed as proof. “She (Flores) requested that no documents be created,” Patricia added, noting that “they kept the receipt.” #ContigoCHV ♬ original sound – Chilevisión

Cash Was “Everywhere”

Regarding the source of the money used for payments, López indicated that she could not specify its origin, but she assured that cash was frequently handled within the home and that it was “everywhere”, as reported by Bio BíoChile.

López’s statement adds to the evidence being evaluated by the prosecutor regarding the constant handling of significant amounts of cash by Flores, which “could indicate the final destination of the defrauded amounts.”