The Nice public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the misappropriation of public funds targeting the president of the Les Républicains party, Éric Ciotti, on 31 May

Éric Ciotti, president of the Les Républicains party, is under investigation for misappropriation of public funds, H24 MEDIA confirms following information revealed by Le Figaro. According to the public prosecutor in Nice, the investigation was triggered by a report made in May by the Anticor association, which campaigns against corruption and for ethics in politics.

The investigation focuses in particular on the free use of parking cards near the Nice MP’s office, provided by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Eight people, including Éric Ciotti and several of his aides, allegedly used these cards to park for free during the 2022 legislative campaign. The interdepartmental criminal investigation department is leading the investigation.

In response to this investigation, Éric Ciotti denounced “obvious political manipulation” in a press release, saying he was “not concerned by this affair”. He pointed out that the report had come from someone close to his political opponent, Christian Estrosi, calling into question the credibility of the testimony.

In addition, a preliminary investigation into the misappropriation of public funds was opened in May into suspicions of multiple employment at the Alpes-Maritimes departmental council, according to Le Monde. A report by the chambre régionale des comptes (regional audit office) published in December revealed that four members of the local authority’s staff and two employees, who were also parliamentary assistants at the Assemblée nationale, had not complied with the rules on holding multiple jobs. The staff concerned work for Éric Ciotti.