Three days before the European election, the European court has confirmed that Marine Le Pen should repay nearly 300 000 euros to the European Parliament for the dubious employment of an assistant when she was MEP.
The Court of Justice of the European Union rejected an appeal by the leader of the extreme right of France, who again challenged the reimbursement of this sum for the questionable use of an assistant, herself currently a candidate eligible for European elections.
"Stink ball", answers Marine Le Pen
In a judgment dated Tuesday 21 May and seen by AFP on Thursday, the EU Court of Justice rejects Marine Le Pen's appeal against a decision of June 2018, the final stage of this procedure at European level.
"Stinky ball Nobody is fooled", responded by SMS Marine Le Pen, questioned by AFP on this decision.
The President of the National Gathering (RN, formerly FN) announced this appeal after the decision of the EU Court of 19 June 2018 confirming the reimbursement of the sum in a case which is also the subject of legal proceedings. La France. She asked for the cancellation.
40 000 euros claimed in a similar case
The Court ruled that Marine Le Pen had "not been able to show that her assistant was carrying out actual duties for her", a year and a half after the European Parliament's decision to proceed with the recovery.
The reimbursement covers the employment of Catherine Griset as a parliamentary assistant from the end of 2010 to the beginning of 2016. Chief of staff of Marine Le Pen since 2015, she is currently number 10 on the list of the RN for the European elections.
In a similar case, the European Parliament is also demanding about 40 000 euros from Marine Le Pen, concerning the use of a bodyguard as an assistant. In both cases, the institution relied on a survey by Olaf, the EU anti-fraud office.
With AFP