Marianne Fund: the prefect responsible for its administration resigns

Christian Gravel, the prefect responsible for managing the Marianne Foundation, the entity created in 2020 by Marlene Schiappa at the center of the controversy, has submitted his resignation to the Interior Ministry, according to a press release issued Tuesday. It was “accepted,” the ministry said.

This resignation followed the publication of a General Inspector General of Administration (IGA) report that accused him of “reserved favoritism” for an association, the Union for Physical Education and Military Readiness (USE PPM), when paying grants. from the fund.

The Marianne Foundation has been at the center of controversy and revelations from Mediapart and France 2 for several months, pointing to the non-transparent management of this structure, which began after the assassination of Samuel Paty. Supposed to fund associations fighting radicalization and separatism and with €2.5 million, the Marianne Foundation is suspected of having mainly benefited USE PPM and, in particular, would have paid salaries of up to €120,000 to two former association leaders.

Commission of Inquiry established by the Senate

One more association financed by the structure stands out: Let’s restore the common one. According to Mediapart, this association published content aimed at political opponents of the presidential party, in particular, during the 2022 legislative campaign. The Senate created a commission of inquiry.

Christian Gravelle, 49, was appointed in October 2020 Secretary General of the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Crime and Radicalization (CIPDR), led by Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin and former Delegate Minister in charge of Citizenship Marlene Schiappa. . The current Secretary of State for the Social and Solidarity Economy defended herself at the end of April, arguing that none of the fund’s winners were friends or relatives of hers and that the content published by Rebuild the common targets “all political trends.”