Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to a year in prison

Naughty Sarko has today been convicted of illegally funding his 2012 election campaign which he lost to François Hollande , Sarkozy's campaign spent nearly double what is allowed under French law.

Prosecutors said the former president's UMP party splurged nearly double the €22.5m (£19.4m) cap on lavish campaign rallies and events, then tried to hide the costs by hiring a PR firm called Bygmalion to invoice the party, not the campaign.

On Thursday, the court in Paris ruled that though the former president may not have known the full details of the fraud, he must have seen that limits were breached and did nothing about it.
www.bbc.co.uk...

Of course Sarkozy won't actually go to prison because , you know , one law for them another law for us , instead he will be made to suffer at his opulent home with a little ankle bracelet while conducting his affairs , eating cheese and watching TV ... I guess.

His 12 month sentence comes just months after the serial offender was given a 2 year suspended sentence plus 1 year on a Tag for trying to bribe a judge , you couldn't make it up.
From March this year.

Sarkozy, 66, is however allowed to request that his prison term — of which two years are suspended — be served at home with an electronic bracelet.
He is the first former French leader to be handed out a prison sentence that includes time with no remission. His predecessor at the Elysée Palace, Jacques Chirac, had been handed a two-year suspended jail term after being found guilty of corruption while Paris Mayor.
www.euronews.com...

Vive la Republic.

while conducting his affairs , eating cheese and watching TV ... I guess.

Don't forget the wine.

The U.S. and Europe should be more like China when it comes to dealing with crooked politicians. Not that I'm defending China, but a guy can dream, can't he?

China sentences former political rising star

Rumour has it that he kept all the extra cash hidden in plain sight- in that box he carries everywhere with him,which he uses to stand on when next to regular height folks in photos.
Very naughty little Sarko.

a reply to: gortex

Oh please let it be the start of locking up of 1000s of current and ex politicians

I would be quite happy to see them ALL rot behind bars

You know there's no fighting in French prison........each combatant just surrenders.

originally posted by: Fatboy527
You know there's no fighting in French prison........each combatant just surrenders.

You ever seen a french tank? They have 1 gear forward and 4 in reverse lol

Cheers - Dave

They need to dismiss all the French judges, along with their exhorbitant wages, and bring back the guillotine.

Matter of fact, they need to introduce the guillotine to a few new countries. And states. (Such as Illinois.)

That's funny Dave....I took French in school for 4 years.....I've never meet anyone from France.....I wish it was the French pouring over our Southern border, I could at least communicate with them..Lol.....And learning French did not get me laid.....after a while, like the French I just gave up.a reply to: bobs_uruncle

It's not a surprise that Sarkoozie committed multiple crimes, but it is a bit surprising that he has been charged for those crimes. If any of us had embezzled / stolen even a fraction of those millions of Euros (let alone been charged with the litany of other crimes which he has been) and then attempted to cover it up, we'd be locked away for a long time.

I may be cynical after many years of watching corrupt political critters get free passes, but I suspect one of two things is going on with Nicky:

1. He has been deemed too hot to handle by his comrades in the political class and they are putting a little distance between themselves and Nick. The charges will amount to be little more than a slap on the wrist. May involve some sort of payout for Nick and / or involves blackmail being utilized to keep Nick quiet.

2. Nick is taking a fall to maintain appearances for the proletariat. Charge one of the political class to give the impression that politicians can be held accountable for wrongdoing. Probably involves some sort of payout for Nick.

3. Nicolas is taking a fall for himself and his autocrat buddies in the hopes of keeping the lid on something much bigger which may come to light. Probably involves some sort of payout for Nick.

He's been charged with some very serious crimes over the past few years. Criminal conspiracy, attempting to bribe a magistrate, corruption, illegal campaign financing, embezzling. There are other powerful people who have their hands dirty in relation to charges who will do what they have to in order to stay out of the light.

I'm of the opinion that it isn't possible for a person to attain positions in the upper echelons of government without making deals with some very powerful, dangerous people and without also allowing those powerful people to hold life destroying blackmail over that person. Like the movie The Firm except the good guys don't win at the end.

A select few are groomed from an early age for positions of power, but many political careers do not start out on a criminal track.

"After a couple of years ... You're used to the good life, they tell you the truth."

In order to get to the big leagues, the back door dealings and blackmail has to occur. Whether by deceiving the would be politician or getting them to play ball.

Just my two cents.