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Prosecutor Receives Three Referrals Over Ministers’ Undeclared Assets

Three formal signalements have been transmitted requesting preliminary inquiries into potential omissions in the wealth declarations for Culture Minister Rachida Dati; Economy Minister Éric Lombard.

Rachida Dati, France's culture minister, during the Besoin d'Europe European election campaign rally in Aubervilliers, France, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Power politics and trade tensions are high on the agenda ahead of next week's European elections where the far right is set to do well, especially in France. Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Overview

  • On June 30, three signalements were lodged at the Paris prosecutor’s office, combining filings by activist Raymond Avrillier and Senator Rémi Féraud under Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
  • Rachida Dati is accused of omitting nineteen pieces of jewelry valued at €420,000 from her HATVP declaration and €299,000 in undeclared honoraires from GDF Suez dating to her time as a Member of the European Parliament.
  • Éric Lombard faces claims that he undervalued a Morbihan house and an apartment in his asset declaration, allegations that the Ministry of Economy has formally rejected.
  • Both ministers deny any wrongdoing, with Dati’s lawyers asserting she never acted as GDF Suez’s lawyer and had nothing to regularize, and Lombard’s office declining to comment on the referrals.
  • The Paris prosecutor has yet to decide on opening formal investigations, underscoring heightened scrutiny of public officials’ wealth disclosures since post-Cahuzac reforms.