France’s Le Pen found guilty in graft trial, awaits decision on potential ban from politics

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Marine Le Pen, the National Rally, and two dozen party figures are accused of diverting European Parliament funds to pay France-based party staff

PARIS, France – A French court found far-right leader Marine Le Pen guilty on Monday, March 31, of misappropriating EU funds and the sentencing expected shortly could see her barred from the 2027 presidential race, upending politics in France.

Le Pen, head of the far-right National Rally (RN), is the front-runner in opinion polls ahead of the 2027 vote.

Prosecutors had asked that Le Pen face an immediate five-year ban from public office if found guilty, regardless of any appeal process, using a so-called “provisional execution” measure. Judges can adopt, modify or ignore the prosecutors’ request.

An automatic five-year ban would hammer Le Pen, 56, a three-time presidential contender who has said 2027 will be her final run for top office. She would retain her parliamentary seat until the end of her mandate.

Le Pen, who did not speak to reporters as she arrived in court, has accused prosecutors of seeking her “political death”, alleging a plot to keep the RN from power that echoes claims made by US President Donald Trump about his legal woes.

Le Pen, the RN, and two dozen party figures were accused of diverting European Parliament funds to pay France-based party staff. The defendants said the money was used legitimately and the allegations define too narrowly what a parliamentary assistant does.

The court found Le Pen, eight other people who were EU lawmakers at the time, and 12 parliamentary assistants guilty of embezzling EU funds. The defendants were not accused of pocketing the money, but rather of using EU funds to the benefit of their party.

Judge Benedicte de Perthuis ruled: “It was established that all these people were actually working for the party, that their (EU) lawmaker had not given them any tasks.”

“The investigations also showed that these were not administrative errors … but embezzlement within the framework of a system put in place to reduce the party’s costs.”

Le Pen, who sat in the front row in court, could be seen at times shaking her head slightly from right to left, indicating “no”, while listening to the judge. – Rappler.com