Mélenchon’s campaign accounts in 2017: deputy Bastien Lachaud indicted, in particular for fraud – archyworldys

MP Bastien Lachaud (La France insoumise, LFI) was indicted on September 22 for suspicion of fraud, in the investigation into the accounts of the presidential campaign of Jean-Luc Mélenchon in 2017, reported on Thursday. November 4, a source close to the case as well as a judicial source, confirming an information of Mediapart. The elected Saint-Denis is prosecuted mainly for “illicit loan of labor, forgery, swindle and attempted fraud,” said the sources.

Bastien Lachaud, employee as treasurer of the association L’Ere du peuple, service provider in the service of the candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon during the campaign, should have been, like three other employees, including the deputy Mathilde Panot, paid by the campaign of the candidate or the party, considers the examining magistrate in charge of the file. M^me Panot and M. Lachaud, who have since become deputies, were at the same time members of the campaign team. Judicial information has been open to the Paris court since November 2018 on the use of public funds during the last campaign of the leader of the “rebels”.

“To indict an employee of a structure for illicit loan of labor, which is equivalent to saying that the employee would have lent himself, is totally absurd”, reacted M^e Mathieu Croizet, lawyer for Mr. Lachaud. “The false accusation is only a dressing of this offense which does not exist”, he added, announcing soon to file a motion to quash the proceedings. In a press release, LFI insists and recalls that Mr. Lachaud “Was not the leader of the association, but employed on a permanent contract” and “Cannot be made guilty of such a fault since he is supposed to be the victim”. The party rejects “The absurd accusations” against the Member and considers that the objective sought is “To harm the presidential campaign of Jean-Luc Mélenchon”.

152,688 euros difference between salaries paid and amounts invoiced

“For missions similar to those carried out by Bastien Lachaud, remunerations three times higher were paid in the campaign of Emmanuel Macron”, believes LFI.

As for the People’s Era, this “Was not a logistics provider”, assures LFI, for whom the association “Notably provided event and communication services, the existence and quality of which have never been questioned by the CNCCFP”, the National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing.

“Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s campaign in 2017 was the longest and cheapest campaign of all the candidates” and the era of the people “Ended the 2017 election campaign with a net profit of 6,848 euros”, still ensures LFI, for whom the association “Fully respected the electoral code” and “Invoiced for its services in the countryside at the normal market price”.

In the spring, the association L’Ere du peuple and its financial agent, Marie-Pierre Oprandi, were also indicted, but only for illicit loan of labor. The examining magistrate placed the association and M^me Oprandi – also prosecuted for using forgery – under the more favorable status of assisted witness for the main offenses of this investigation relating to suspicions of aggravated fraud, breach of trust or illegal campaign financing.

The CNCCFP noted a difference of 152,688 euros between the salaries paid and the amounts invoiced to the agent. Responsible for validating the reimbursement of candidates’ expenses with public money, the commission refused to reimburse the margin made by the association, a non-profit organization, and had reported the facts to justice.

“The era of the people and the employee only applied the provisions of the electoral code which oblige providers to charge market prices”, said for his part M^e Croizet, who also defends the association. Candidate for the 2022 presidential election, Mr. Mélenchon disputes any infringement, in this investigation and in the second judicial investigation, still in progress, concerning the employment of his assistants when he was a MEP.