It is a spectacular fall to say the least experienced by Andy Kerbrat, LFI deputy for Loire-Atlantique, elected then re-elected in 2022 and 2024. According to a survey by Mediapart published on November 15, the MP used his mandate fee advance (AFM), an envelope financed by the National Assembly, to withdraw more than 13,000 euros in cash and cover personal expenses reaching 25,000 euros. These funds, supposed to finance his activities as an elected official, would have been used to finance his addiction to substances such as cathinones, synthetic drugs associated with the practice of chemsex.
Arrested in Paris on October 17 while purchasing narcotics, Andy Kerbrat admitted his wrongdoing while denying that these funds directly financed his illicit purchases. “ I did anything “, he declared to Mediapartrecognizing that his spending had largely contributed to maintaining his lifestyle. The elected official claimed to have repaid the embezzled amounts thanks to family assistance.
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A public fight against a private fight
Andy Kerbrat, who co-signed a resolution in 2023 calling for a national chemsex prevention strategy, is today caught up in this same practice. “ Like many gays of my generation, I went from an occasional practice to an addictive practice “, he confides, explaining that his consumption worsened after the death of his biological mother in 2022. The young MP, aged 34, also spoke of his frequent use of drugs to “ to have » faced with the pressure of his mandate.
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These drug intakes had significant repercussions on his work. In 2023, The Chained Duck reported his absenteeism to the Assembly, including a deduction from his allowance for absences in committee. The most notable episode remains his defection during a crucial meeting on domestic violence, where he was the only LFI representative. “ I thought I could get out of the mess I had gotten myself into alone, without outside help. “, he confided, describing an isolation reinforced by shame and secrecy.
Questions about the management of parliamentary envelopes
The affair also raises questions about the management of parliamentary envelopes. Although controlled since 2017, this expenditure is only verified randomly. This lack of supervision allowed Andy Kerbrat to embezzle his funds without being worried. His AFM account, credited with 4,700 euros per month, however plunged into the red to the tune of 8,000 euros in 2023, forcing service providers to reject payments.
