A Paris court decided on Thursday. Initially, no sentence was set. The former head of state faces up to a year in prison and a fine. The defense had demanded an acquittal for the conservative politician.
Prosecutors charged Sarkozy with illegally funding the failed 2012 re-election campaign. In France, spending on an election campaign is capped in order to create more equality of opportunity between candidates. The upper limit allowed at that time was 22.5 million euros. In fact, Sarkozy’s team is said to have spent at least 42.8 million.
In order to cover up the overspending, expenses are said to have been camouflaged by a system of fictitious invoices from his party UMP – now renamed Republicans. In addition to Sarkozy, 13 people are on trial on suspicion of fraud and aiding and abetting.
The French judiciary is also investigating Sarkozy for alleged payments made by Libya in the 2007 election campaign. In another affair, Sarkozy was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, two of which were suspended, in March for bribery and illicit interference in the judiciary. He has announced that he will appeal here.
