Former French President Convicted, Sentenced to Prison for Corruption
Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France. (Flickr)
A French court found Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France from 2007 to 2012, guilty of corruption and influence-peddling on March 1. The tribunal sentenced Sarkozy to three years in prison, two of which are suspended.
Sarkozy has faced numerous criminal investigations since losing his 2012 presidential campaign. One case against Sarkozy alleged that he had accepted illegal campaign funds from Liliane Bettencourt, the L’Oréal heiress, for his 2007 presidential bid. Investigators ultimately cleared Sarkozy of any wrongdoing.
While investigating a separate allegation that Sarkozy accepted an illegal donation from former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential campaign, French detectives discovered suspicious contact between Sarkozy and Thierry Herzog, his lawyer.
They found that Sarkozy and Herzog sought information on the then-ongoing Bettencourt investigation from Gilbert Azibert, who was a judge on France’s highest court. In exchange, they offered Azibert a prestigious position in Monaco.
The court convicted Sarkozy of attempting to bribe Azibert.
Judge Christine Mée, who handed down the judgment, told Sarkozy that he “knew what [he] was doing was wrong.” Carla Bruni, Sarkozy’s wife, posted a picture of the couple on Instagram after the verdict. She captioned the image, “What relentless nonsense my love… the battle continues, the truth will out.”
Sarkozy continues to maintain his innocence. In an interview with Le Figaro, Sarkozy said, “I cannot… accept having been condemned for something I did not do.” He added that the judgment was “riddled with inconsistencies.” Sarkozy appealed the conviction, but the process will take at least a year.
Sarkozy’s sentencing may pose problems for his party, Les Républicains. Though Sarkozy retired after another unsuccessful presidential bid in 2017, some hoped he would run again in 2022. Brice Hortefeux, the former Interior Minister under Sarkozy, told POLITICO that “Sarkozy was the only obvious candidate for the right.” Though Sarkozy is still legally able to hold public office, the verdict renders any chance of a comeback extremely unlikely.
Sarkozy’s legal troubles are far from over. He will face another trial in April for accusations that he overspent in his unsuccessful 2012 presidential campaign, and detectives are still investigating whether Sarkozy accepted funds from Gaddafi.
Despite his ongoing legal battles, members of Sarkozy’s party have rallied around the former president. Christian Jacob, the president of Les Républicains, tweeted his support for Sarkozy, calling the sentencing “absolutely disproportionate.” Olivier Marleix, a deputy in the National Assembly, said, “A former President is not above the law, but he has the right to a fair trial.”
Sarkozy went on national television to reiterate his innocence. “It is an injustice,” he declared, vowing to “fight until the end so that the truth triumphs.”