Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was convicted on Thursday of criminal association in a long-running case alleging his 2007 presidential campaign was secretly bankrolled by the regime of late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The Paris Criminal Court found that Sarkozy, 70, knowingly allowed his inner circle to solicit millions in illicit funding from Libyan officials between 2005 and 2007. He was cleared of the more serious charges of passive corruption and misappropriation of public funds, but Judge Nathalie Gavarino ruled he bore responsibility for permitting the financial dealings.
The verdict marks a historic moment: Sarkozy is the first former French president convicted of criminal association in connection with foreign political financing. Several of his closest allies were also convicted. Claude Guéant, Sarkozy’s former campaign director and longtime aide, was found guilty on multiple counts including corruption, forgery, influence peddling, and aggravated money laundering. Former Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux was also convicted of criminal association for helping facilitate the alleged funding network.
Other defendants, including Saudi businessman Ahmed Salem Bugshan, French businessman Édouard Ullmo, and ex-minister Éric Woerth, were acquitted. Prosecutors had argued Sarkozy’s campaign benefited from what they described as a “corruption pact” with Gaddafi’s government. The case has been under investigation for over a decade, fueled by testimonies, intelligence documents, and allegations that cash-filled suitcases were delivered to Sarkozy’s team. Sarkozy has denied all wrongdoing, dismissing the trial as a political “plot” and vowing to appeal.
The scandal first erupted in 2012 after investigative outlet Mediapart published a Libyan memo suggesting a €50 million agreement. While Sarkozy was acquitted of some charges, Thursday’s ruling deepens the former president’s legal troubles, as he already carries prior convictions for influence peddling and illegal campaign financing in separate cases. Sentencing is expected in the coming months, with Sarkozy facing up to 10 years in prison if the ruling is upheld on appeal.
