the investigation into suspicions of embezzlement of public funds dismissed

It was opened in September 2022 after a report from ecologist Julien Bayou.

The investigation into “embezzlement of public funds” as part of the presidential campaign of right-wing candidate Valérie Pécresse, opened in September 2022, was closed without further action, franceinfo learned on Wednesday January 31 from the Paris prosecutor’s office.

The investigations followed a report, dated April 19, 2022, and launched by Julien Bayou, elected Europe Ecology The Greens to the Île-de-France regional council, chaired by Valérie Pécresse. The investigation was entrusted to the Brigade for the Repression of Economic Delinquency (BRDE).

The report from the former environmentalist national secretary of EELV also targeted other offenses, including illegal financing of an electoral campaign, abuse of corporate assets and/or illegal taking of interests. The entourage of the candidate of Les Républicains had spoken of “slanderous denunciation”.

In a press release, Wednesday afternoon, Valérie Pécresse said “happy to see [son] honor cleansed once again of the infamous attacks by the Greens on my presidential campaign”. The president of the Ile-de-France region now says she wants “an exemplary conviction for slanderous denunciation of those for whom the exploitation of justice is the best way to smear a political adversary”. “Justice must sanction and put an end to the systematic, cynical and undignified harassment that they organize towards me, my colleagues and my family.”

Valérie Pécresse had spent 14.3 million euros for a single round of voting, but had not reached the 5% vote mark which allows reimbursement of campaign costs. After her defeat, she launched an appeal for donations to fill a hole of five million euros.