Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of illegal campaign financing and sentenced to one year in prison. Reports revealed that Sarkozy was the first French head of state to receive two jail terms in modern times.
In March, he was also found guilty of corruption and influence-peddling and was initially sentenced to three years in prison. However, his lawyer appealed the conviction, so his sentence was reduced to just one year.
Nicolas Sarkozy and his attorney will appeal the recent sentencing
His lawyer, Thierry Herzog, said that he would be launching an appeal on behalf of Sarkozy.
Following his sentencing in Paris, Sarkozy released a statement on his social media account. "I just ask the law to be the same for me as for any other citizen... I appealed for the court to dispense justice. I will go all the way in this quest," Sarkozy said via Reuters.
But even with his two jail terms, Sarkozy won't head to prison because he can serve his sentence by wearing an electronic bracelet at home.
Sarkozy accused of overspending during his previous campaign
According to CNN, a criminal investigation into the Bygmalion case was first launched in 2014 after authorities discovered that Sarkozy spent $54 million during his campaign. He reportedly used fake invoices and spent way above the limit, which is $24 million.
At the time, Sarkozy and his team are all aware of the allowable spending limit during campaigns. They also received a memo from their accountants to correct the trajectory of their spending, but they didn't listen.
In fact, Sarkozy previously denied that he had any knowledge of the overspending that's been happening during his campaign. Reports also claimed that this isn't the end of Sarkozy's legal woes. After all, another investigation can ensue regarding an alleged illegal campaign funding that he received from Libya.
Nicolas Sarkozy could face more sentencing in the coming years
The late Moammar Gadhafi allegedly provided Sarkozy's 2007 campaign with millions of euros shipped to Paris in suitcases.
In 2018, Sarkozy was taken into custody following a five-year investigation into Gadhafi's alleged contributions to his 2007 campaign, according to the Washington Examiner.
At the time, French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine said that Gadhafi's intelligence chief gave him 5 million euros to deliver to Sarkozy and his former chief of staff, Claude Gueant, between 2006 and 2007. Sarkozy denied any wrongdoing.
Former French president earned a reputation for being flashy
The former French president served a five-year term in office before losing to Francois Hollande in the 2012 presidential elections. His loss earned Sarkozy the title of the second candidate to not secure a second-term win after Giscard d'Estaing.
Ahead of the 2012 election, polls revealed that Sarkozy was in the lead. However, he lost the support of French individuals after he earned the reputation of "le président bling-bling."
Many less-off French individuals disliked Sarkozy's flashiness. He would reportedly wear expensive watches, make appearances with his former supermodel wife, and go on holidays on a yacht.
Following the criticisms, Sarkozy defended his flashiness by saying that he deserves to treat himself because he works hard. Unfortunately, this didn't work in his favor during the 2012 election.
Related Article: Ex-French President Nicolas Sarkozy Convicted of Corruption
