France election: Investigation into Marine Le Pen financing

PARIS –

The Paris prosecutor’s office said Tuesday it opened a preliminary investigation last week into suspicions of illicit financing of far-right French leader Marine Le Pen’s campaign during the 2022 presidential election.

The office told The Associated Press that the judicial probe opened July 2 into allegations of accepting a financial loan, misappropriation of property, fraud and forgery. But it did not give details.

Le Pen hasn’t commented.

The preliminary investigation was opened after a report from the National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing dating from 2023. The body is responsible for monitoring candidates’ expenses. In French elections, candidates are barred from exceeding a certain spending limit.

French media reports said that Le Pen is not the only candidate in the 2022 presidential election singled out by the body.