Marine le Pen on trial for alleged EU funds misuse

If found guilty, the French presidential hopeful could be ineligible to run for office for up to 10 years.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifyUS ElectionElection pollsKamala HarrisDonald TrumpJD VanceTim WalzSportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersMarine Le Pen on trial for alleged EU funds misuseTERESA SUAREZ/EPA-EFEMarine Le Pen, long-time leader of France’s far-right National Rally and presidential hopeful, goes on trial in Paris on Monday accused of misusing European parliamentary funds.

More than 20 other senior figures in the party are also facing the same charges. They are accused of hiring assistants who worked on party affairs rather than for the European parliament which paid them.

If Le Pen is found guilty, she could face fines and imprisonment – and potentially be declared ineligible to run for office for up to 10 years, hitting her presidential ambitions.

She has denied wrongdoing, and party spokesman Laurent Jacobelli said "we are going to prove that there is no system to embezzle money from the EU".

"We are going to prove that it is possible to be an assistant to a European parliamentarian and get involved in the life of the RN (National Rally)," the spokesman told French media on Monday.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jw967zg0eo

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