French conservative politician Marine Le Pen was found guilty of embezzlement on Monday. Her sentence bars her from running in France’s 2027 election.
Le Pen was accused of using funds intended for European Union aides to pay her political staffers. She has denied any wrongdoing.
In addition to a five-year ban on running for office, Le Pen received a four-year prison sentence and a 100,000 euro fine. Half of her prison sentence has been suspended. Le Pen can avoid prison during an appeals process, but can’t be reinstated as an eligible candidate unless the decision is overturned.
Le Pen was the runner-up in the last two presidential elections against French President Emmanuel Macron. She has led most opinion polling since 2023 and appeared poised to succeed
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