Jordan Bardella filed a legal complaint against unknown parties for forgery and use of forged documents on Tuesday, November 12, following a media investigation into youth messages attributed to him.
Did You Know? Meta, the parent company of Facebook, extracted the disputed messages on August 16, and an official bailiff certified the data extraction on September 29.
Prosecutor receives complaint regarding alleged antisemitic messages
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that the complaint from the National Rally president was received on Tuesday. The 31-year-old party leader faces accusations stemming from a late September investigation by Mediapart that published controversial social media posts dating back to 2013.
The investigative reports brought forward messages allegedly sent via Messenger containing antisemitic statements. According to those findings, the text included claims that banks are held by Jewish people and that Jewish populations seek to dominate and rob others.
Bardella has formally denied authorship of the messages, dismissing the disclosure as a political conspiracy, or “barbouzerie.” Before filing the recent complaint regarding forgery, he had already initiated a defamation lawsuit against the publication and confirmed those legal steps on November 10.
Le Pen supports Bardella amid authentication details
Marine Le Pen offered her backing to the party leader, stating that he is innocent and declaring her absolute trust in him. The National Rally leadership has rallied around Bardella as the political faction faces intense scrutiny ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
In response to the denials, the investigative outlet released authentication details in early October. These records included the August data extraction provided by Meta and certified by a huissier.
Questions about the forgery complaint and Meta data
When was the forgery complaint received by authorities?
The Paris prosecutor’s office received Jordan Bardella’s complaint against unknown parties for forgery and use of forged documents on Tuesday, November 12.
What specific organization certified the data extraction?
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, extracted the messages on August 16, and a bailiff certified the data on September 29.
How has Marine Le Pen responded to the allegations?
Marine Le Pen publicly supported the National Rally leader, calling him innocent and stating that she has absolute trust in him.
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