[The headquarters office of the ruling Baath Party in France was searched to investigate Macron's hiring of a consulting firm in his first term] French prosecutors said on the 14th that they had searched the headquarters office of the ruling Baath Party and the Paris office of McKinsey & Company. The French National Financial Prosecutor's Office confirmed on the same day that the search operation was launched in view of the Senate investigation that determined that President Macron's spending on consulting firms more than doubled during his first term. It is reported that the investigation focuses on the fact that some McKinsey employees volunteered to work without pay during Macron's 2017 election campaign, and prosecutors suspect whether it constitutes hidden campaign expenses. In response, a Baathist spokesman said it was normal for the judiciary to investigate the facts freely and independently, adding that it would cooperate with prosecutors to provide all information about the campaign. McKinsey also responded that it would fully cooperate with the investigation. (Phoenix Satellite TV Lu Jingyu comprehensive report)
