The far right Front National party of France has been accused of misusing European Parliament funds.<br /><br /> EU officials accuse Marine Le Pen’s party of breaking staff spending rules.<br /><br /> MEPs cannot pay assistants with EU cash if their work has no link to their mandate.<br /><br /> “There is an enormous amount of money which is paid by the European parliament and we have to clarify if they work really for their parliamentarian assistant jobs – or in reality as assistants and advisers for the headquarters of the French National Front,” said Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament.<br /><br /> Schulz has referred the matter to the EU’s anti-fraud body OLAF.<br /><br /> The AFP news agency reported that the figure is as high as 7.5 million euros.<br /><br /> FN leader Le Pen denies any wrongdoing and is threatening legal action.<br /><br /> Euronews asked a number of MEPs from the Front National for comment.<br /><br /> None of them were available for interview.
