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Former Justice Minister Rachida Dati Goes on Trial in Paris over Corruption

Prosecutors say €900,000 in fees hid lobbying for Renault in the European Parliament, while Dati denies wrongdoing and calls the payments legal work.

  • Former French culture and Justice Minister Rachida Dati goes on trial in Paris today accused of "passive corruption" and "benefiting from abuse of power" involving over €900,000 in consultancy fees from a Renault-Nissan-linked company.
  • Prosecutors allege a 2009 contract between Dati and then Renault-Nissan head Carlos Ghosn disguised lobbying work in the European Parliament, providing €300,000 annually before tax for alleged legal services.
  • While investigators characterize the evidence as "singularly limited" given the compensation, Dati's lawyers argue she worked exclusively as a lawyer for the Dutch company, calling allegations an "artificial intellectual construction."
  • Last week, lawyers and magistrates wrote an open letter to the High Council expressing concerns that the "prospect of Rachida Dati's reinstatement" while under trial could undermine public confidence in the judicial system.
  • If convicted, Dati faces up to 10 years in prison, a €450,000 fine, and five years of political ineligibility, jeopardizing her position as mayor of Paris's seventh arrondissement. The trial runs until September 28.
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Lean Right

Six months after her failed attempt to become the mayor of Paris, Rachida Dati has been facing a trial since this Wednesday on which her reputation depends. The court proceedings have begun at the Paris Court against the former French Culture Minister and Carlos Ghosn, who was the CEO of Renault between 2005 and 2019. The investigating magistrates suspect that the conservative leader charged 900,000 euros from a subsidiary of the automotive grou…

·Madrid, Spain
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Lean Left

Despite Carlos Ghosn's absence, arguing that he was out of time and demanding the dismissal of the trial, the court decided to try the former Minister of Justice Rachida Dati for corruption in the Renault case. On 16 September, at the opening, his lawyers, while demanding that the trial take place, nevertheless tried to derail the hearing...

·Paris, France
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Lean Left

The trial of high-profile former minister Rachida Dati begins today in Paris. As a Member of the European Parliament, she is accused of unlawful lobbying...

·Antwerp, Belgium
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Center

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·Helsinki, Finland
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Le Figaro broke the news in Paris, France on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
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