America News Agency

Le Pen says the trials risk overshadowing her record-breaking performance in July's early parliamentary vote, which gave the RN 126 seats. That is enough to change Prime Minister Michel Barnier's shaky minority government.

The RN party, nine former MPs, including Le Pen and party vice-president Louis Aliot, spokesman Julien Odoul, one of nine former deputy deputies, and four RN employees are among those on trial in Paris.

First uncovered in 2015, the RN's bogus employment system covers contracts for parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016.

Prosecutors say the assistants worked for the party outside parliament.

Many allegedly could not describe their day-to-day work, and some had never met their supposed parliamentary bosses or set foot in the parliament building.