A Paris criminal court is scheduled to review on Monday a request from former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to consolidate sentences stemming from separate convictions for corruption and illegal campaign financing. The move comes as Sarkozy, who held office from 2007 to 2012, continues to navigate a series of legal challenges following his departure from the Élysée Palace.
Sarkozy’s legal team has characterized the request to combine sentences as a standard procedural step, according to reports. The former president was convicted in March 2021 of corruption and influence peddling in a case involving attempts to illegally obtain information from a judge, Gilbert Azibert, regarding an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations. He received a one-year prison sentence, which he is appealing.
The initial case centered on allegations that Sarkozy offered Azibert a prestigious retirement position in Monaco in exchange for information about a probe into funding he received from Liliane Bettencourt, the heiress to the L’Oréal cosmetics fortune. Prosecutors in the 2020 trial had sought a four-year jail sentence, with two years suspended, for Sarkozy, Azibert, and Sarkozy’s lawyer, Thierry Herzog.
The separate conviction for illegal campaign financing relates to accusations of overspending during his 2012 re-election bid. Details of that case and any potential sentencing implications were not immediately available.
The court’s decision on Monday will determine whether the sentences from the two convictions will be served concurrently or consecutively. No immediate ruling is expected following the hearing.
