Nicolas Sarkozy Jailed for 1 Yr for Illegally Financing 2012 Election Campaign
Sarkozy was found guilty of having spent almost twice the legal limit on his re-election bid.
Former France President Nicolas Sarkozy.
(File Photo: PTI)
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was, on Thursday, 30 September, sentenced to one year in prison, by a court in Paris, for illegally financing his election campaign in 2012.
Sarkozy was found guilty of having spent almost twice the legal limit on his re-election bid. He had denied any involvement in the logistics of his campaign, but the court said he "continued the organization of meetings after having been warned in writing of the risk of exceeding the legal ceiling."
In the trial, Sarkozy was found guilty of proposing a prestigious job in Monaco to a prosecutor in exchange for tip-offs on an inquiry into allegations that he had exploited the mental frailty of late L'Oreal heiress, Liliane Bettencourt, to enjoy donations in cash to finance his 2007 presidential campaign.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, had denied wrongdoing in that case and had appealed against the ruling.
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