International Courant
An investigation has been launched into the financing of Marine Le Pen’s (Nationwide Rally Group, RN) 2022 presidential marketing campaign.
Prosecutors in Paris have mentioned they are going to examine allegations of embezzlement, forgery and fraud, and {that a} candidate accepted a mortgage throughout an election marketing campaign.
The investigation was opened every week in the past following a 2023 report by the Nationwide Fee on Marketing campaign Accounts and Political Financing (CNCCFP).
The committee’s job is to observe candidates’ election spending and financing and to establish any issues.
No additional particulars have been given in regards to the causes for the investigation, and Ms Le Pen’s camp has additionally not commented.
The RN has beforehand obtained loans from Russian and Hungarian banks. Nevertheless, the Russian mortgage, price €9.4m (£7.9m), was totally repaid final 12 months.
In 2017, the RN was accused of giving occasion members bogus positions as assistants on the European Parliament.
Round €5 million (£4 million) is believed to have gone to RN assistants who didn’t work for MEPs however did occasion work in France.
The RN denied the allegations and mentioned it will show that no cash had been embezzled.
In September, a courtroom will rule on Ms Le Pen and 24 different members of her occasion over the alleged misuse of EU funds.
Le Pen, a veteran of French politics, ran for president in 2012, 2017 and 2022.
She was re-elected to parliament final month within the first spherical of France’s early parliamentary elections.
Her occasion unexpectedly completed third, regardless of having gained a convincing victory within the European Parliament elections just a few weeks earlier.
Prosecutors examine financing of Nationwide Rally marketing campaign
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