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France warns publishing candidate’s hacked emails may ‘distort’ election

by Rebecca Savransky - 05/06/17 11:10 AM ET

France warned the media Saturday that it could be a criminal offense to publish information released in an alleged hack of French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron’s campaign emails.

The French election commission expressed concern that publishing the emails could influence Sunday’s presidential vote and urged “responsibility,” according to Reuters.

“On the eve of the most important election for our institutions, the commission calls on everyone present on internet sites and social networks, primarily the media, but also all citizens, to show responsibility and not to pass on this content, so as not to distort the sincerity of the ballot,” reads the commission’s statement.

{mosads}Late last week, a large archive of emails from the campaign of Macron appeared to leak online, just two days before the election.

In a statement, the Macron campaign said it had been the target of a hack.

“The En Marche! Movement has been the victim of a massive and co-ordinated hack this evening which has given rise to the diffusion on social media of various internal information,” the statement said.

The statement said the emails did not show anything out of the ordinary for a presidential campaign, but noted fake documents were posted on social media to spread “doubt and misinformation.”

Macron is leading in the polls ahead of Sunday’s election. He is facing right-wing National Front candidate Marine Le Pen.

In France, electoral laws impose nearly a two-day blackout on campaigning and media coverage Saturday and most of Sunday as an attempt to avoid swaying the election.

Tags Emmanuel Macron Politics of France