French police searched Culture Minister Rachida Dati’s home and offices on Thursday as part of a widening corruption investigation linked to her tenure as a European Parliament lawmaker,
prosecutors confirmed.
The searches targeted several locations, including Dati’s private residence, the Ministry of Culture headquarters and the Paris district town hall she oversees. Dati, 60, currently serves as mayor of the city’s affluent seventh arrondissement and is campaigning to become mayor of Paris in 2026.
The investigation was opened on October 14 by France’s national financial prosecutor’s office. It centres on suspicions of corruption, influence peddling and the embezzlement of public funds related to payments Dati allegedly received between 2010 and 2011, during her mandate as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).
Prosecutors are examining claims that Dati accepted nearly €300,000 from energy giant GDF Suez—now known as Engie—while in office. French media reports have suggested the payments, routed through the now-defunct law firm STC Partners, coincided with pro-gas positions she promoted publicly and within the European Parliament. Dati has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Her lawyer, Olivier Pardo, declined to comment following Thursday’s raids.
Allegations about Dati’s links to the energy company first surfaced in 2013 and have resurfaced in recent months through investigative reports by ‘Complément d’Enquête’ and ‘Le Nouvel Observateur’.
The minister’s legal troubles extend beyond the current probe. Dati has been indicted since 2021 over separate corruption allegations tied to disgraced former Renault–Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn. She is accused of receiving €900,000 in legal fees between 2010 and 2012 from a Netherlands-based Renault–Nissan subsidiary. That case is expected to go to trial next year. Dati also denies those charges.
In addition, prosecutors revealed in September that they are examining claims she failed to declare luxury jewellery and watches—items reportedly worth €420,000—when she joined the government. The undeclared assets were flagged by French newspaper *Libération*, which reported that her 2024 asset declaration lists €5.6 million in real estate, savings and life insurance, but no jewellery.
Despite mounting legal pressure, Dati remains an influential figure within the centre-right. She served as an MEP from 2009 to 2019 and has held the culture portfolio since early 2024, serving under four prime ministers, most recently Sébastien Lecornu.
Dati is seeking to succeed Anne Hidalgo as Paris mayor in municipal elections scheduled for March 2026. If elected, she would be the second successive woman to lead the French capital. Photo by Nicolas Richoffer, Wikimedia commons.