EPA Le Pen’s voting habits under scrutiny Claims that French far-right leader got other MEPs to vote on her behalf.

STRASBOURG — The European Parliament opened an investigation Wednesday into whether MEPs voted on Marine Le Pen's behalf, which would be a violation of the body's rules.

The French far-right leader is no fan of the Parliament, and left the hemicycle before the end of a long voting session Wednesday. But her absence allegedly didn't stop her voting, according to MEPs from the center-right European People's Party.

Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, a Swedish EPP MEP, asked parliamentary officials to check if there were any irregularities with the votes of Le Pen, who leads the National Front in France and the Europe of Nations and Freedoms group in the Parliament.

“I did not want to make a fool of myself, but I wanted to be sure the Parliament’s services are going to check what happened,” said Corazza Bildt. “But if she did not vote, this is pretty bad and serious.”

According to the rules, MEPs cannot vote on behalf of another MEP. Rule 177 says that “members shall cast their votes individually and in person.” Infringements of the rules related to fraud can be punished by anything from an official reprimand to a suspension from all parliamentary activities.

The person who voted instead of Le Pen, not Le Pen herself, would face sanctions deemed appropriate by Parliament President Martin Schulz. He would need the backing of the Parliament’s Bureau.

"If these facts are proven, this person will have to take responsibility for it," Le Pen said in the French newspaper Liberation.

Corazza Bildt and several other EPP lawmakers said they saw Nicolas Bay of the National Front and Marcel de Graaff of the Dutch far-right Freedom Party vote for Le Pen after discussion of a report on air pollution.

“Her neighbor did vote for her around 15 times,” said Renaud Muselier, a French conservative MEP.

A Parliament official said Le Pen’s voting card had been used "seven times” after she left the chamber.

Members of the Europe of Nations and Freedoms group, including Bay, did not respond to requests for comment.

This article was updated to correct the party affiliation of Marcel de Graaff.