Havas HQ raided in Macron Las Vegas trip inquiry
French anti-corruption police on Tuesday raided the headquarters of the Havas advertising group and a French business promotion body in connection with a visit by President Emmanuel Macron to Las Vegas when he was economy minister in the previous government.
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An investigation into favouritism, complicity and profiting from favouritism was opened in mid-March after the Canard Enchaîné weekly revealed compromising details of the trip.
The visit to the Consumer Electronics Show cost 381,759 euros, 100,000 euros of which were for hotel bills, the paper said.
What is more Business France, which was run at the time by current Labour Minister Muriel Pénicaud, awarded the contract to organise to Havas without a call for alternative bids.
Macron's successor, Michel Sapin, has said that he is in the clear, blaming the problems on a "malfunction by Business France".
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