David Rachline, the RN mayor of Fréjus, will stand trial for favoritism on September 22, 2026, the Draguignan prosecutor announced on December 19. This legal matter adds to other probes into his municipal management, resulting in his removal from Rassemblement national leadership on December 2 under pressure from Marine Le Pen.
David Rachline, elected mayor of Fréjus in 2014 under the Front national banner (renamed Rassemblement national in 2018), is confronting multiple judicial investigations. On December 19, prosecutor Pierre Couttenier disclosed that Rachline and several current or former collaborators will be prosecuted for favoring a security company tied to a mayoral associate in awarding public contracts. The trial is scheduled for September 22, 2026.
Earlier that day, Le Nouvel Obs had exposed probes into his municipal management, including two days of custody for Rachline on November 24 and 25 – one week before his forced exit from RN leadership roles. Marine Le Pen had compelled him to revert to mere party membership, citing a photo with neo-fascist militants posted on his social media in October. Yet party insiders had hinted at judicial reasons.
These proceedings fit into broader scandals involving Rachline. In 2023, journalist Camille Vigogne Le Coat released 'Les Rapaces. Enquête sur la « mafia varoise » de Marine Le Pen' (Les Arènes), detailing a system of arrangements between a prominent local construction businessman and the official, noted for his extravagant lifestyle. These disclosures prompted the Draguignan prosecutor's office to launch a preliminary inquiry in January 2024 for active and passive corruption of a local elected official.
The thirty-something Rachline, a municipal showcase for the RN, stepped back from party activities following these probes, highlighting internal and legal pressures on far-right figures.