Despite Jean-Marc Morandini's final conviction for corruption of minors, the Rassemblement National (RN) has not banned its spokespeople from appearing on his CNews shows. RN spokesperson Matthieu Valet appeared on the animator's set on Thursday, the day after the Court of Cassation's ruling. The party allows its members freedom of choice.
The Court of Cassation rejected Jean-Marc Morandini's appeal on Wednesday, January 14, confirming his 2022 conviction for 'corruption of minors,' upheld on appeal in 2025. Hours after this final ruling, CNews announced it would keep the host on air, despite the sexual offense charges.
Despite this, the Rassemblement National issued no ban on its elected officials. In 2022, Marine Le Pen had pledged: 'Elected president of the Republic, I will make the nation the protector of mistreated children.' Yet, RN figures continued to appear on Morandini's sets, initially citing the presumption of innocence. They had suggested they would stop after a final conviction, but they did not.
On Thursday, January 15, Matthieu Valet, RN spokesperson, European deputy, and candidate in Lille's municipal elections, spent an hour discussing immigration and insecurity with the convicted host. A former police officer, Valet did not respond to The World's inquiries. Victor Chabert, the party's communications head, confirmed that spokespeople are free to join these shows.
This RN stance raises questions about the consistency of its position on child mistreatment cases, as the party positions itself as a defender of children.
