PARIS (AP) — A top European Union court has ruled that French far-right leader Marine le Pen must return 300,000 euros ($346,000) to the European Parliament for funds incorrectly paid to an assistant.
The case dates back to Le Pen’s time as a European parliament member, from 2009-2017, representing her National Front party, which recently changed its name to National Rally.
An investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office had ruled that funds meant to pay a parliamentary assistant were “unduly paid” to an assistant of the National Front. Le Pen appealed the ruling, denying that the money had been misdirected.
The General Court of the EU on Tuesday dismissed Le Pen’s appeal, saying in a statement that “she did not prove the effectiveness of that assistant’s work.”
