Starting on Monday, September 30, the Paris judicial court will judge a “system”, which the National Front (FN, converted into National Rally, RN, in 2018) is accused of having organized to finance itself with European funds, between 2004 and 2016, by hiring parliamentary assistants who actually work for the party. Summary of the accused, prosecuted together with Marine Le Pen and her party.
the stories
Luis Aliot. A European MP at the time of the events, Jean-Marie Le Pen’s former chief of staff was elected mayor in 2020 of Perpignan, the largest city governed by the far right in France. First vice-president of RN, he was defeated in 2022 by Jordan Bardella in the race for the party’s leadership. He is accused of having hired a fictitious parliamentary assistant for four months.
Thierry Legier. Personal bodyguard of each leader of the FN, then the RN, since the early 1990s, this former paratrooper is suspected of having been unfairly paid as a collaborator of several MEPs.
Wallerand de Saint-Just. A figure of the FN, he was its treasurer when it was suspected that the party had created a “system” intended to be financed with European funds. Regional councilor of Ile-de-France, was convicted for the “campaign kits affair”.
Handymen become executives
Julian Odoul. One of the alleged fictitious parliamentary assistants, the thirty-year-old is now on the front line of the RN, spokesperson for the party and deputy for Yonne since 2022. Jordan Bardella appointed him co-campaign director for the next legislature in September. elections, in the event of a new dissolution of the National Assembly.
Catalina Griset. A close friend for several decades of Marine Le Pen, to whom she was chief of staff, she has been elected as a member of the European Parliament since 2019.
Timothée Houssin. Former alleged fictitious collaborator of Nicolas Bay, regional councilor of Normandy and also RN deputy for Eure since 2022.
The dissident
Nicholas Bay. After leaving the RN on very bad terms in the middle of the 2022 presidential campaign, the leader of the conservative line of the FN had joined Eric Zemmour. Re-elected in June as a European deputy for the Reconquista list, he approached the RN following Marion Maréchal, but remains undesirable for Marine Le Pen. At the time of the events, he was leading the RN delegation to the European Parliament.
Former elected officials
Jean-Marie Le Pen. The 96-year-old former president and co-founder of the National Front will not be present at the hearing for health reasons.
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