Suspicions of Electoral Corruption Target Mayor of Toulouse: Interrogation of Former Aide Reveals Backstage of 2020 Campaign

Emails from anonymous addresses, clandestine meetings in the basements of the Capitole (city hall), and pseudonyms: this is how a former member of Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc’s cabinet described the atmosphere within the municipality during preparations for the 2020 municipal elections. These details emerged during a hearing of the former aide before the judicial police on September 16, 2026, after he handed over hundreds of documents to the anti-corruption association Anticor, which subsequently filed a legal complaint accusing the team of misappropriation of public funds.

45 Minutes for Official Duties, the Rest for the Campaign

The investigation began after a complaint was filed in June 2025 regarding suspicions of embezzling public funds and illegal campaign financing in Toulouse. According to testimony provided by the former aide—referred to as "Camille" to protect his identity—the mayor’s chief of staff, Arnaud Mounier, gave explicit instructions to the team, stating: "You should spend no more than 45 minutes a day on official institutional work, while the rest of the time must be entirely devoted to the election campaign."

The case is being overseen by the public prosecutor's office in Auch to ensure impartiality, while field investigations are being conducted by the Interdepartmental Judicial Police Service (SIPJ) in Toulouse. Documents and correspondence gathered by Anticor indicate that approximately 15 Toulouse municipal employees worked regularly on behalf of the candidate rather than the city during official working hours between September 2019 and Moudenc's re-election on June 28, 2020.

The 'C16' Group and Covert Methods

"Camille" explained that the campaign team was known within city hall corridors as "C16," referring to 16 aides tasked with drafting campaign arguments, preparing responses against opponents, and tracking voter correspondence. He confirmed that meetings were held weekly on Mondays in the basement of city hall to avoid drawing attention, with participants required to communicate via Telegram using pseudonyms.

Testimonies noted that the chief of staff signed his correspondence under the alias "Cujas" (referencing a 16th-century French jurist) or "Sargon," while the deputy chief of staff used another pseudonym to manage the campaign's digital accounts. The former aide also revealed that shortly before the second round of elections, the team was instructed to cease operations and use shredders to destroy sensitive documents and records.

The Mayor’s Stance and Presumption of Innocence

For his part, Pierre Esplugas, who served as deputy mayor and spokesperson for Moudenc’s "Aimer Toulouse" electoral ticket in 2020, denied the validity of the allegations, stressing that any formal response would be made before judicial bodies rather than in the media. Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc, who was re-elected in 2020 and again in 2026, previously stated that he has always complied with the laws and regulations of the Republic, characterizing Anticor as having positioned itself as a "zealous inquisitor."

The preliminary investigation remains ongoing to analyze documents and interview further witnesses to determine whether municipal resources and equipment were genuinely mobilized for the electoral campaign, with officials emphasizing that Jean-Luc Moudenc and his chief of staff, Arnaud Mounier, fully enjoy the presumption of innocence until the courts decide on the case.