French National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet said Tuesday she was opposed to the creation of a parliamentary inquiry into the scandal involving late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, warning that such a move would "compete with the justice system".
Braun-Pivet, an ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, was responding to calls by the left-wing La France insoumise (LFI) party for the establishment of a cross-party inquiry to investigate Epstein's French ties.
"The matter must be referred to the courts" to "shed light" on possible "French ramifications" to the Epstein revelations, Braun-Pivet told Europe 1.
LFI argued last week that a parliamentary inquiry was necessary to investigate possible "interference" or "funding" of political parties after more French public figures were named in files related to Epstein.
Former French minister Jack Lang on Saturday resigned from his longtime post as head of the Arab World Institute (IMA) in Paris over his links to the late sex offender, becoming the most high-profile French public figure to be caught up in the politically explosive scandal.
Read moreWhich members of France's political and cultural elite are named in the Epstein files?
French prosecutors have opened a preliminary tax fraud probe into Lang and his daughter Caroline after they were mentioned in the Epstein files.
Braun-Pivet described the revelations as "terrifying", even as she praised "the quality of Jack Lang's commitment and work as a minister".
"I no longer want to see politicians taking advantage of the generosity of private individuals," she said. "These politicians who take advantage of private jets and have their holidays paid for are unacceptable."
'Fuel for conspiracy theories'
Braun-Pivet's comments came a day after Macron sought to distance France from the Epstein affair, saying it was "a matter that mainly concerns the United States".
"The justice system there must do its job, and that's all," Macron said, adding that he did not want to "take part" in a public debate on the Epstein affair.
The French president also called for "real journalism", noting that the dump of US government files on Epstein had created "fuel for conspiracy theories".
When asked about Lang's decision to resign, Macron said he had taken note of it, adding the choice was made "in good conscience".
Epstein files special: Revelations, Redactions & Ramifications
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THE WORLD THIS WEEK © FRANCE 24
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Lang, 86, has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was "shocked" that his name appeared in the statutes of an offshore company that Epstein founded in 2016, and had only appealed to Epstein as a philanthropist.
His daughter Caroline, who allegedly owned half the shares in the company, resigned Monday from the board of the Fondation Le Refuge, dedicated to housing and supporting LGBTQ youth who have been estranged from their families.
She had previously resigned from her job as head of the Union of Independent Producers (SPI), which represents independent film producers in France.
A mere mention in the files does not imply wrongdoing.
Top US prosecutor Todd Blanche said on February 1 that authorities would not bring any more charges after the release of more than 3 million items made available at the end of January.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
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