Sarkozy Sentenced in Libyan Campaign Case.

Last week, Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison for corruption. Two years ago, Sarkozy was found guilty of accepting millions of euros from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. According to a report in the BBC, Sarkozy will spend time in prison even if he launches an appeal. He will also have to pay a fine of €100,000. According to a report in The London Times, Sarkozy will reject any pardon from the French government because that would suggest that Sarkozy would have to admit guilt in accepting money from the Libyan government. No matter what happens in the future, the fact that a former French president will spend time behind bars is astonishing.

Former French President Sarkozy Stripped of Legion of Honor Due to Corruption Conviction.

Yesterday, the former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was stripped of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest honor. According to a report in The Guardian, Sarkozy was found guilty of corruption in 2021 for attempting to bribe a judge and peddle influence in return for intelligence about an investigation into his campaign finances in 2007. The only other people to be stripped of the legion of honor are Phillippe Petain, the French Vichy leader who collaborated with the Nazis during WWII, Bashar Al Assad the former Syrian despot, Lance Armstrong, and finally Harvey Weinstein (quite a rogue’s gallery of people). According to a report, Sarkozy allegedly received millions of euros in campaign funds from the Gadhafi regime in Libya in 2007. It is unclear what will happen next, but French prosecutors have asked for a 7-year jail term in the Libya case.

Sarkozy Loses Appeal on Corruption Charge.

The former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, has lost his appeal against a prison sentence relating to corruption charges. According to the BBC, Sarkozy was sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of attempting to influence a judge. Sarkozy offered the judge a job in Monaco in return for information about the status of an investigation centering on allegations of whether or not the Libyan government gave money to his presidential campaign. Reuters reports that despite being sentenced to three years, two are suspended, and Sarkozy will wear an electronic tag for the other year. Sarkozy is facing several further criminal investigations, so, likely, he is not out of trouble yet.