POLITICS | FRANCE | MACRON

French investigators raided the homes of four senior managers at consultancy McKinsey in late January, over suspicions the firm illegally aided President Emmanuel Macron's election campaigns, a source close to the case told AFP Friday.

First reported by daily Le Parisien, the searches are part of two probes into allegations of failure to keep proper campaign accounts and favouritism opened by financial prosecutors in November.

They had already searched McKinsey offices and others belonging to Macron's Renaissance party in December.

The financial prosecutor's office declined to confirm the January 31 raids when contacted by AFP.

Investigative outfit Mediapart has reported that some McKinsey staff may have worked for free for Macron's first victorious presidential campaign in 2017.

And a French Senate report into public contracts awarded to consultancies dogged Macron throughout his ultimately successful re-election campaign last year, reinforcing his reputation among opponents as a "president of the rich" and well-connected.

The senators also accused McKinsey of using accounting schemes to avoid paying business taxes in France between 2011 and 2020.

Financial investigators opened a probe into the firm itself in March last year for covering up tax evasion.

Macron said of the allegations in November that "I fear nothing" and that "I believe that I personally am not at the heart of the investigation".