PARIS — Nicolas Sarkozy denied spending ran out of control during his failed re-election bid in 2012, as the ex-president made his first appearance at a trial over accusations he deliberately exceeded campaign-finance limits.
French investigators allege he ignored accountants’ warnings as his relentless campaigning in 2012 racked up costs of at least 42.8 million euros ($51.8 million), or about twice as much as was legally allowed. Sarkozy denied ever spending as much. He also drew a parallel between his winning presidential bid in 2007 and his failed re-election attempt five years later to refute allegations.
“Did this campaign cost twice that of 2007? That’s implausible,” he said testifying in Paris on Tuesday. “It didn’t cost what they say.”
The case is known as the Bygmalion affair, after a communications company hired to organize Sarkozy’s rallies during the 2012 election fight. It has become a symbol of the bitter infighting within the ranks of the center-right party he used to lead, with various factions trying to shift the blame throughout the investigation.
While the trial began last month, the former French president hadn’t attended court. The trial hearings had so far focused on other defendants in the case, some of whom are accused of participating in a system of fake invoices, risking as long as five years in jail. Sarkozy isn’t involved in that part of the case and faces a maximum one-year jail term.
Sarkozy became visibly agitated during his cross-examination. The main judge asked him to stop turning from side to side, where the other defendants were seated.
“I’m defending my honor,” he said. “I defend it with passion.”
Sarkozy doesn’t deny any overspending occurred during his 2012 campaign. But he says rallies on his 2012 campaign cost only slightly more than they did in in his first election bid.
After France’s constitutional court decided in 2013 not to reimburse 11 million euros in election expenses, Sarkozy’s party was forced to resort to private donations in what was known as the “Sarkothon.”
“We probably made some mistakes, we should have been more strict, rigorous,” Sarkozy said. “But we’re in a criminal court. Was there an intent to harm, to fraud? No.”
