The French State Council rejected Marine Le Pen's appeal against the ineligibility penalty resulting from the fictitious employment scandal of assistants.

The State Council rejected on Wednesday a third appeal from Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally (RN) party, against the immediate application of the ineligibility penalty. She was sentenced by the Paris Correctional Court in March to four years in prison, two of which are to be served, and a fine of 100,000 euros, following the scandal of fictitious employment of assistants for the Members of the European Parliament from the National Front (FN).

The ineligibility penalty, which lasts for five years, prevents her from running in legislative or presidential elections. Although she is set to be tried on appeal between January 13 and February 12, Le Pen is also contesting her removal from the electoral rolls. Following this ruling, her position as a departmental councilor was revoked, but she retains her position as a deputy from Pas-de-Calais.