Shamed Macron aide claims regular contact with president whose entourage is 'worse than the mafia'
The scandal surrounding President Emmanuel Macron’s disgraced former personal security aide Alexandre Benalla, who was fired over media revelations that he violently assaulted participants in May Day marches in Paris this year while illegally wearing police apparel, escalated this month after Mediapart’s revelations that he has continued to use a diplomatic passport while conducting business trips abroad, notably in Israel and several African countries. Now, in an exclusive interview with Mediapart, he claims to continue to regularly discuss ongoing political issues with Macron, despite the Élysée’s insistence that he has “no further contact” with the French president. Benalla, 27, says his mobile phone records provide the truth of his claims, while he also accuses Macron’s entourage as behaving like a “mafia” against him. Fabrice Arfi reports on the deepening mystery of Benalla’s relationship with the French president.
TheThe scandal surrounding Alexandre Benalla, President Emmanuel Macron’s disgraced personal security aide, and deputy to his cabinet director, has further deepened with his claims to Mediapart that he has remained in close regular contact with the French head of state – despite denials by the presidential office – with whom he says he discusses current affairs, and notably the ongoing civil unrest of the ‘Yellow Vest’ movement.
