The investigations are unlikely to suit the head of the Rassemblement National at all. They concern alleged embezzlement of funds and illegal loans during the election campaign.
It’s not a good week for Marine Le Pen. After the disappointing result on Sunday, the public prosecutor’s office is now interested in her past presidential campaign. The French judiciary has launched preliminary investigations against the right-wing populist for allegedly illegal financing of her 2022 presidential campaign. This includes a campaign loan and the embezzlement of funds, the public prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday in Paris. The investigation was launched on July 2 following a tip-off from the Commission for Campaign Accounts.
An investigating judge is dealing with the case, the public prosecutor said. Details of the alleged offenses were not initially disclosed.
11.5 million euros did not bring Marine Le Pen victory
In France, election campaign spending is capped in order to create more equal opportunities between candidates. Candidates must be accountable for this. This regularly leads to complaints from the relevant authorities.
The responsible commission examines the campaign accounts of all candidates, part of which will be reimbursed. Le Pen had invested around 11.5 million euros in her third presidential campaign in 2022. The commission had previously rejected part of the expenditure, including a good 300,000 euros for campaign advertising on buses. Le Pen had lost the 2022 presidential election in the runoff against Emmanuel Macron.
The Commission also criticized some of the costs during the 2017 presidential election campaign. Around 870,000 euros that Le Pen had received as a loan from a splinter party of her father Jean-Marie Le Pen were not recognized by the Commission.
In June, the Court of Cassation in Paris confirmed the conviction of Le Pen’s party, the Rassemblement National (RN), to a fine of 250,000 euros. The case concerned excessive billing for election campaign material for the candidates in the 2012 National Assembly elections.
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Trial against Le Pen in September for embezzlement
In the autumn, Le Pen will have to stand trial with 24 other defendants on suspicion of embezzling EU funds. The trial is scheduled to begin on September 30. According to the prosecution, between 2004 and 2016, several assistants of RN MEPs actually worked for the party and not for the MEPs. Le Pen denies the allegations.
The RN had been ahead in the European elections and the first round of the French parliamentary elections. In the runoff last Sunday, it only came third – after tactical withdrawals by more than 200 candidates from the other party camps. Le Pen, who was re-elected as a member of parliament, wants to become group leader again. She is also aiming for a fourth presidential candidacy in 2027.
Note: This article has been updated to include additional information.
Source: Stern
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