President Emmanuel Macron intervened personally in an investigation into a potential conflict of interest involving his chief of staff, Alexis Kohler, Mediapart can reveal. In the summer of 2019 a statement from the president was sent to France's financial crimes prosecution unit clearing Kohler's name after detectives investigating the case had written a damning report. Following President Macron's intervention, a second police report was written which reached very different conclusions. A month later, the whole case was dropped. Martine Orange investigates a move by the president which appears to breach the doctrine of the separation of powers between the government and the judicial system.
President Emmanuel Macron intervened directly in legal proceedings to help his most senior aide and with apparent disregard for the separation of powers, Mediapart can reveal. The head of state wrote a letter seeking to absolve his chief of staff Alexis Kohler from wrongdoing in an alleged case of conflict of interest and collusion. Within weeks of the president's intervention the case against Kohler was dropped.
