Marine Le Pen Faces Paris Trial Over Allegations of Misuse of EU Funds

(Bloomberg) — French presidential contender Marine Le Pen said she won’t elude any questions on the opening day of a Paris trial where she and her National Rally party are accused of diverting millions of euros in European Union funds to build up a platform in France.

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The criminal trial which started on Monday afternoon centers on accusations that Le Pen and other party members elected to the European Parliament improperly used a budget allocation for EU aides, which has since increased to reach nearly €30,000 ($33,574) a month.

The court case comes as Le Pen’s influence on French politics has never been greater with her able to wield a de-facto veto over policies set by new Prime Minister Michel Barnier amid a deeply divided National Assembly. For Le Pen, the trial threatens to derail her party’s plans to build credibility and convince French voters it will be ready to govern by the next presidential elections slated for 2027.

Shortly before 2:30 pm local time, Le Pen was called to the stand to confirm her identity and was read the charges she faces by the presiding judge. The 56-year-old politician then made a brief statement.

“I will answer all questions put to me by the court,” she said before sitting down again as further defendants were called to the stand.

Specifically, Le Pen is alleged to have got the European Parliament to pay for the salary of four aides between 2009 and 2016 “without requiring them to carry out tasks in line with their duties as parliamentary assistants,” according to the indictment. In other words, the aides allegedly focused on work for the National Rally in France rather than EU affairs as their contracts specified. The indictment highlights that one was even working for her father Jean-Marie as a personal assistant.

If found guilty, Le Pen could in theory face jail time and a fine, as well as a ban of as much as 10 years from running for public office. That could prevent her from standing in the 2027 election. However, challenging the verdict would typically lift the execution of the sentence, until all appeals had been exhausted. She has previously been convicted of defamation.

Unfit Father

Le Pen is further accused of having encouraged others to misuse EU funds. More than 20 others and the party itself, known in French as Rassemblement National, go on trial alongside her. Le Pen’s father and the party’s founder has also faced accusations but was deemed unfit to defend himself owing to his deteriorating medical condition.

The Le Pens and the National Rally have denied impropriety throughout. But investigators point to an email sent to Le Pen a decade ago to suggest the party saw the European assembly as somewhat of a piggy bank after years of overspending.

In the message, the party’s then accountant says: “we will only get by if we make significant savings thanks to the European Parliament.”

(Updates with statement from Le Pen in court starting in first paragraph)