Source: France 24 [French state media]
“French far-right leader Marine Le Pen at an appeals trial on Tuesday rejected her party having had any ‘system’ to embezzle European Parliament funds, as she seeks to save her 2027 run for president. A French court last year barred Le Pen, a three-time presidential candidate from the far-right National Rally (RN), from running for office for five years over a fake jobs scam at the European institution. It found her, along with 24 former European Parliament lawmakers, assistants and accountants as well as the party itself, guilty of operating a ‘system’ from 2004 to 2016 using European Parliament funds to employ RN staff in France. Le Pen, 11 others and the party are appealing.” (01/20/26)