Gadhafi gave to Sarkozy's 2007 campaign

[Hieronymus]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/28/world/europe/france-campaign-gadhafi/

(CNN) -- The campaign of French presidential front-runner Francois Hollande called for a criminal investigation into President Nicolas Sarkozy after a media report Saturday accused the president of taking 50 million euros ($66.3 million) for his 2007 campaign from then-Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi.
Mediapart, a French online magazine, claimed in its report to have a Gadhafi government document, detailing an agreement to fund the campaign. The alleged document, dated December 10, 2006, states that then-Libyan intelligence chief Moussa Koussa authorized secret payments to Sarkozy through an intermediary, Mediapart reports.
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[pampango]

1. Aljazeera: Sarkozy denies Gaddafi 'funded' 2007 campaign

The government of the late Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi agreed to fund French President Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign with an estimated $66m, a French news website has reported. The Paris-based investigative website Mediapart on Saturday published what it said was documentary evidence of the illegal campaign funding.

Sarkozy strongly denied the allegations when first questioned by French journalists in March. Sarkozy's campaign spokesperson Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet dismissed the latest report as "ridiculous" and a "clumsy diversion" orchestrated by supporters of Francois Hollande, his Socialist opponent in the upcoming presidential election. France has strict campaign financing laws, banning politicians from taking funding from foreign states.

The allegations that Gaddafi had financed the conservative politician's first presidential campaign first came from Gaddafi himself in March 2011, shortly before France went on to play a lead role in NATO's military intervention in the north African country.

Gaddafi paid a controversial visit to Paris in December 2007, shortly after Sarkozy won the presidency. The Libyan leader was allowed to pitch his Bedouin tent on the Elysee, leaving many commentators outraged.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/04/201242814462322719.html

The allegation is probably true, but may not hurt him much in the final round of presidential voting next Sunday. In 2010 the EU signed an agreement with Libya in which they paid him € 60 million to limit the flow of African migrants to Europe. The right in France probably would accept that bargain. Gaddafi helps Sarkozy (€ 50 million), the EU helps Gaddafi (€ 60 million) and the end result is fewer immigrants from Africa. What's not to like from a National Front perspective?