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Sarkozy awaits crucial ruling for his political future French top court rules Sarkozy’s phone taps are legal
(about 2 hours later)
PARIS — France’s highest court decides Tuesday whether wiretaps of phone conversations between Nicolas Sarkozy and his main lawyer are legal, a much-anticipated ruling that could pave the way for a corruption trial against the former president. PARIS — France’s highest court has decided phone taps between Nicolas Sarkozy and his main lawyer are legal, a ruling that paves the way for an eventual corruption trial against the former French president.
Sarkozy is expected to seek the conservative nomination to run for president again next year, but the possibility of a trial could hamper his bid. Sarkozy is expected to seek the conservative nomination to run for president again next year, but Tuesday’s decision opens the possibility of a trial that could hamper his bid.
The opposition leader is under preliminary charges of corruption and influence-peddling based on information gleaned from judicial phone taps in 2013-2014. His lawyers have argued the wiretapping was carried out in breach of lawyer-client privilege. The opposition leader is under preliminary charges of corruption and influence-peddling based on information gleaned from judicial phone taps in 2013-2014.
If the top court upholds the legality of most of the phone taps and ensuing evidence, as the prosecutor has asked them to do, the preliminary charges will stand against Sarkozy. The Cour de cassation rejected arguments by Sarkozy’s lawyers who had argued the wiretapping was carried out in breach of lawyer-client privilege.
It is one of several legal cases in which Sarkozy’s name has appeared, but the most potentially damaging to his political future.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.