Former president Nicolas Sarkozy held his breath Wednesday with prosecutors due to announce their requested sentences against him in an appeal over allegations of illegal campaign funding from Libya’s late dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2007. Sarkozy was last year sentenced to prison by a lower court and became the first modern French president to serve time behind bars.
Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign was already shady, and now prosecutors are pushing for more time. He’s the first modern French president to actually serve prison time, and it’s about time justice catches up with the powerful.
I’m curious if the appeal will reduce his sentence like in the wiretapping case. The Gaddafi connection always seemed like the most damaging part, but French courts have a history of going easy on ex-presidents.
Three years in prison for illegal campaign funding seems light given the scale—Gaddafi allegedly funneled millions. Sarkozy’s lawyers will probably drag this out for years, just like the Bygmalion affair.
The revolving door between government and lobbying firms needs serious reform. (400c32)
How is it that the wealthy always seem to benefit regardless of who is in power? (3e8838)