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Found guilty of embezzlement of EU funds, Le Pen will appeal the sentence! Lawyer: Blow to democracy
2025-03-31 16:50:50 / BOTA
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who pleaded guilty to embezzling European Union funds, will appeal the conviction against her, her lawyer Rodolfo Beauselou announced.
"This is a blow to democracy," the lawyer told reporters outside the far-right party's headquarters in Paris.
Le Pen and 24 other officials from the National Rally were accused of embezzling over 4.1 million euros intended for EU parliament aides to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation bloc's regulations.
Le Pen denied the allegations and argued that it was acceptable for the work of aides paid by the European Parliament to be tailored to the needs of lawmakers, including some political work related to the party.
But judge Benedicte de Perthuis disagreed, ruling that Le Pen had been at the heart of a system that her party used to squander EU parliament money.
She was found guilty of embezzlement along with eight other people who were EU lawmakers at the time and 12 parliamentary assistants.
The court also banned her from holding public office for five years, meaning she will not be able to run in France's presidential election in 2027.
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