Police invades Le Pen party headquarters in Paris and seizes campaign documents

The headquarters of the Rally National Rally (RN) in Paris was the target of a search and seizure operation on the morning of Wednesday (9), conducted by agents of the financial brigade and two judges.

The lawsuit is part of an ongoing judicial investigation that investigates suspected illegal financing involving party election campaigns in 2022 and 2024. The information was released by Jordan Bardella, party president, through social network X. The case is under the responsibility of the Paris Public Prosecutor and was confirmed by the AFP agency.

The operation took place around 8:30 am local time and resulted in the seizure of documents, accounting records and electronic materials. According to Bardella, “all emails, documents and accounting records have been confiscated.”

The president of the RN also reported that the party’s leadership offices were also searched, with seizures related to regional, presidential, legislative and European campaigns of recent years.

The investigation was opened in July 2024 by the Paris Public Prosecution Service to investigate possible irregularities in financing the 2022 presidential and legislative campaigns, as well as the party’s participation in the 2024 European elections. The inquiry focuses on the use of resources and the origin of funding used in campaigns, in a context of intensification of political parties in France.

The party has been facing legal difficulties in recent months. In March this year, the RN was convicted of embezzlement of public funds from the European Union. As a result, Marine Le Pen, the subtitle’s main leadership, was declared ineligible for a period of five years. The decision was challenged by Le Pen, who filed an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (TEDH) on Tuesday (8), requesting the suspension of the sanction imposed by the French justice.

Judicial action on RN happens at a time of high visibility for the party. Recent electoral polls point to the caption as a favorite in the first round of the presidential elections provided for in France. In reaction to the operation, Jordan Bardella classified the measure as an attempt to limit the party’s political participation. “This is a serious attack on pluralism and democratic alternation,” he said.

The Paris Public Prosecution Service did not detail which specific elements motivated the search and seizure warrant, but confirmed that the action is part of the investigative process that began in July. The Financial Brigade, responsible for the execution of the operation, acted based on a court order issued by two magistrates.

The operation takes place in a scenario of increased political tension in the country, with cross -party complaints between parties and court disputes involving candidates and rising leaders. The RN has expanded its political presence in the regions of the interior of France and gained voters in the younger tracks and in the areas of lower urbanization.

The history of conflict with justice is not new to the party. On other occasions, the RN and its leaders were accused of misuse of public resources and irregular accounting practices. The most recent conviction, involving appeals from the European Union, increased the pressure on the subtitle summit on the eve of the new electoral cycle.

Marine Le Pen, who follows the central figure of the party, even after the conviction, has sought legal and political support to reverse her disqualification. The appeal filed with the TEDH will be evaluated in the coming months, but the decision on its eligibility may directly impact the composition of the party’s electoral sheets to 2027.

The inquiry into the financing of electoral campaigns is still ongoing, and new steps are not discarded by the prosecutor. It is expected that the material seized on Wednesday will be analyzed in the coming weeks and serve as the basis for the formulation of any formal complaints.

French justice also monitors possible international connections involving the resources used in RN campaigns. There are evidence that part of the financing may have external origin, which would constitute a violation of current political financing standards in the country. The prosecutor, however, did not disclose details about this line of investigation.

The operation reinforces the focus of the French authorities in controlling electoral financing and combating practices that compromise the integrity of the democratic process. In the case of the RN, investigation developments may directly interfere with their political performance and the composition of their leaders for the next disputes.

While awaiting legal developments, the party maintains its national mobilization agenda, focusing on the presidential campaign and strengthening its regional bases. Jordan Bardella, who took over the protagonism of the subtitle after the removal of Le Pen, has sought to maintain the internal articulation and support the speech that the party is the target of institutional persecution. The investigation, however, follows under partial secrecy, and new phases can be performed at any time.