Ex-French Prez Sarkozy Will Stand Trial at Criminal Court Over Campaign Financing

PARIS (AP) – France’s highest court ruled that former President Nicolas Sarkozy will stand trial on charges of illegally financing his 2012 presidential campaign.

The Court of Cassation on Tuesday definitively rejected an appeal by Sarkozy, confirming a criminal court will judge the case. The date of the trial hasn’t been set.

Sarkozy is facing allegations that his presidential campaign spent well above the legal limit of 22.5 million euros ($24 million) and tried to cover it up fraudulently. The claims center on whether he was aware of alleged false billing and fraud linked to public relations company Bygmalion, some of whose executives have admitted false accounting practices.

Sarkozy has faced multiple corruption investigations since leaving office at the end of his five-year term in 2012.