Marine Le Pen found guilty in EU funding embezzlement case

A French court handed politician Marine Le Pen a five-year ban on running for office on embezzlement charges Monday, dashing her ambitions of standing in the 2027 presidential race unless she successfully appeals, France24 reports.

She also received a four-year prison sentence.

Le Pen abruptly left the Paris courtroom before hearing how long she will be banned from running for public office, according to France24.

Le Pen and 24 other officials from her National Rally were accused of having used money intended for European Union parliamentary aides to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation bloc’s regulations. Le Pen and her co-defendants deny wrongdoing.

Le Pen is due to give a primetime TV interview to French broadcaster TF1 on Monday evening at 8pm, France local time.