The Cour de Cassation, France’s highest court, has upheld former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction for corruption and influence peddling. Sarkozy had appealed against the 2021 conviction, where he was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended. As a result, Sarkozy will serve the remaining year wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet.
Sarkozy, a prominent figure in French politics despite leaving office in 2012, was found guilty by a lower court of attempting to bribe a judge and peddling influence in exchange for confidential information regarding a probe into his 2007 campaign finances.
The court determined that Sarkozy had conspired to secure a job in Monaco for a judge in return for inside information about an investigation into allegations of illegal payments from L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.
The implicated judge, Gilbert Azibert, was also convicted for corruption and influence peddling in the case.
Furthermore, Sarkozy is set to face trial next year on charges of corruption and illegal financing linked to alleged Libyan funding of his successful 2007 presidential campaign. Despite the accusations, Sarkozy maintains his innocence.
If found guilty in the Libya case, Sarkozy could potentially face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Notably, Jacques Chirac, Sarkozy’s predecessor and a fellow conservative, is the only other modern French president to have been convicted by a court. Chirac was found guilty of corruption in 2011, four years after his term ended.
