The Former President of France Was Found Guilty of Breaking Campaign Finance Regulations

Former President France Guilty of Breaking Campaign Finance Regulations

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of illegally funding his re-election campaign in 2012, making him the first head of state since World War II to get two prison sentences. Sarkozy had already been convicted of corruption and sentenced to three years in jail in a separate trial six months earlier. Two of the years were later suspended.

Criminal investigators revealed the former Les Républicains leader deliberately spent nearly twice the legal limit in financing his 2012 campaign in what became known as the "Bygmalion scandal," called for the public relations company that concealed the real cost of Sarkozy's campaign. Sarkozy spent roughly €42.8 million (US $49.7 million) in what would ultimately be a losing campaign, substantially exceeding the €22.5 million legal limit.

To this note, Sarkozy was aware of the issue prior to the 2012 election, according to the court, and voluntarily neglected to oversee ongoing spending afterward. Sarkozy claimed that his campaign staff had sole control over money and that he had no first-hand knowledge of the amount spent.

Other defendants were also found guilty as well, including members of Sarkozy's conservative party, accountants, and Bygmalion members. Sarkozy, on the other hand, is unlikely to be imprisoned. He may spend his sentence at home while wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet, according to the judge. The judgment will be appealed, according to Sarkozy's legal team.