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Emmanuel Macron’s close ally exits race for Paris mayor over leaked sex video, in power setback for party
- Benjamin Griveaux was central to Macron’s bid to control the French capital and build a local power base of his party
- He has not disputed that he had sent the explicit video to a woman who was not his wife
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French President Emmanuel Macron suffered a blow on Friday after one of his closest allies withdrew from the race for Paris mayor over a leaked sex video.
Benjamin Griveaux, 41, a former government spokesman, was central to Macron’s bid to control the French capital and build a local power base for the president’s Republic on the Move (LREM) party in mayoral elections next month.
Griveaux said he opted for retreat to protect his family after an explicit video, believed to have come from him, was leaked on a website and went viral on social media.
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A Russian dissident artist, Pyotr Pavlensky, published screenshots of an online chat which he said was between Griveaux and a woman who was not his wife, and exposed his “hypocrisy”.
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The chat included a video showing a man’s genitals. Griveaux has not disputed that he sent the messages.
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