Le Pen’s Party Paying Back 12 Million Euros to Russian Firm: WSJ
Le Pen’s Party Paying Back 12 Million Euros to Russian Firm: WSJ
(Bloomberg) -- Far-right French Presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen’s party is paying 12 million euros ($12.94 million) to a Moscow-based military contractor, as part of a settlement it reached in 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Russian and French government records.
Wallerand de Saint Just, a senior member of Le Pen’s National Rally, was cited by the WSJ as saying that the amount was both principal and interest on a 9.4 million loan that the party took out from First Czech-Russian Bank and that was taken over by Moscow-based aeronautics firm Aviazapchast JSC in 2016.
The party made a first payment of the loan’s principal in the second half of 2020, sending 1 million euros to Aviazapchast, WSJ said, citing French campaign records.
Calls to Le Pen’s spokesman weren’t immediately answered. During the presidential debate on Wednesday, Le Pen said it would take time to pay back the funds. She said her party had to seek a loan abroad because French banks wouldn’t lend it money.
Aviazapchast was sanctioned by the State Department in 2020 for violating a U.S. law that aims to stop weapons sales to Iran, North Korea and Syria.
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