The National Rally’s press team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The investigation will now be passed to a judge.
It follows a report from the national committee scrutinizing campaign spending (the CNCCFP) which alerted the Paris prosecutor’s office.
“I’m very surprised because our campaign expenses were approved in December 2022 and refunded in February 2023,” said an unnamed official from the National Rally, speaking to AFP.
We found out that an investigation had been opened, like everybody else, on [French television] BFMTV this morning,” he said.
The CNCCFP had already noted irregularities in Le Pen’s 2022 presidential campaign, refusing to refund posters that were plastered on buses, in what was seen as a breach of campaign advertising rules.
According to AFP, Le Pen invested close to €11.5 million in her unsuccessful 2022 presidential campaign. »
