Le Pen charged with embezzlement, fraud, ordered to stand trial
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Le Pen is charged with embezzlement and collusion in fraud, and the National Rally party is accused of obtaining illicit funding and participating in fraud.
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Marine Le Pen attends a debate on France's sovereignty, nationality, immigration, and asylum called by the right-wing party 'Les Republicains' at the National Assembly in Paris, on December 7, 2023 (AFP)
Prosecutors in France charged far-right icon Marine Le Pen and 26 other members of the National Rally (RN) party, formerly known as the National Front, on Friday with misusing EU money to pay for party operations in France.
The members are accused of putting up a scheme for embezzling EU funds to recruit people in France beginning in 2015, with prosecutors saying that National Front eurodeputies, including Le Pen, participated in the scam beginning in 2004.
Among those charged is Le Pen's father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of France's most prominent far-right party.
The charges involve jail penalties of up to ten years and fines of up to double the amount allegedly embezzled.
Le Pen is charged with embezzlement and collusion in fraud, and the party is accused of obtaining illicit funding and participating in fraud. She has disputed the allegations and may face up to 10 years of being unfit for office, jeopardizing her fourth presidential bid.
Marine Le Pen finished second behind Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, and she may run again in 2027. She was the head of her party until 2021 and currently serves as the leader of its parliamentary group.
Two investigating magistrates from France's financial crimes prosecution branch decided to proceed to trial.
The group is accused of misusing EU legislative funding to pay for assistants who worked for the National Rally, formerly known as the National Front.
From 2009 to 2017, the EU Parliament assessed that 6.8 million euros ($7.3 million at today's values) had been embezzled.
