French financial-crime officers raided the Paris headquarters of the far-right National Rally party on Wednesday morning, seizing emails, accounting records and other documents. Party president Jordan Bardella said about 20 officers from the Financial Brigade, accompanied by two investigating judges, began searching the offices at 8:50 a.m. and later removed files covering all recent electoral campaigns. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the operation forms part of a judicial inquiry opened on 3 July 2024 into suspected illegal financing of Marine Le Pen’s 2022 presidential bid, the party’s parliamentary campaign the same year and the 2024 European Parliament election. Investigators are examining whether those contests were funded with unlawful loans from private individuals and whether inflated or fictitious invoices were submitted to obtain state reimbursements. Searches were also conducted at several companies and the homes of their executives. No individuals or entities have been charged so far. Bardella condemned the raid as a “new harassment campaign,” while prosecutors said the search was necessary to secure evidence in allegations that include fraud, aggravated money-laundering and forgery. The party is already appealing a March verdict that found Le Pen and several officials guilty of embezzling €4.2 million in EU funds and barred her from holding public office for five years, a ruling that clouds her prospects for the 2027 presidential race. The latest investigation adds to the mounting legal pressures facing France’s leading opposition party.