The preliminary investigation was opened on July 2 after the National Commission on Campaign Accounts and Political Financing (CNCCFP) filed a 2023 report to the prosecutor’s office. The commission examines campaign funding of election candidates.

The probe will scrutinize alleged forgery, fraud, embezzlement, and acceptance of a loan. The investigation, which was entrusted to the financial department of the Paris police, is “now continuing under the direction of an examining magistrate,” said the public prosecutor.

Le Pen has previously denied any wrongdoing linked to her campaign funding, which amounted to €11.5 million in total.

The RN in the past received loans from Russian and Hungarian banks, which were paid back last year. The Russian loan was worth €9.4m.

Le Pen’s party will be the focus of a separate case in September over the alleged embezzlement of EU funds.

In 2017, the RN was charged with handing out fake jobs to party members as so-called assistants at the European Parliament. Around €5m allegedly went to party members rather than assistants working for French MEPs. Le Pen’s party, however, contested these charges.

Le Pen ran for president in 2012, 2017 and 2022. She was re-elected to parliament during the first round of France's snap parliamentary election last month.