French probe uncovers paid lobbying scheme to sway opinion for Kazakh ex-premier
France's anti-corruption investigators revealed a WhatsApp chat showing a lobbyist offering to buy parliamentary questions and media coverage for a British consulting firm’s client, former Kazakh prime minister Karim Massimov.
Investigators from France's financial crime and anti-corruption unit pieced together a WhatsApp exchange from early 2022 that details a covert lobbying operation. Lobbyist Jean-Pierre Duthion corresponded with Jean L., an executive at a British consulting firm, about financing a campaign to shape French opinion for Karim Massimov, the former prime minister of Kazakhstan who is currently incarcerated. Jean L. suggested an initial payment of €10,000 to obtain a written question and an oral question before the Assemblée Nationale’s foreign affairs committee, plus three promotional tweets from MP Hubert Julien-Laferrière.
He added that a €15,000 fee would guarantee the story’s placement on the BFM news channel. The investigation highlights the mechanisms through which foreign actors may attempt to buy political influence and media exposure in France.
Why it matters
It shows how foreign actors can attempt to purchase political influence and media coverage in France, raising concerns about transparency and national security.
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