Sarkozy accused of taking envelopes stuffed with cash from heiress
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is accused of accepting money from France’s richest woman, Lilianne Bettencourt.
Tuesday, Jul. 6, 2010
As an aspiring politician, Nicolas Sarkozy paid frequent visits to the home of France’s richest woman, Lilianne Bettencourt, the L’Oréal heiress.
The then-mayor of Neuilly was just one of many right-wing politicians who visited the villa in the Paris suburb.
But according to Claire T., a former bookkeeper for Ms. Bettencourt and her husband, André, now dead, Mr. Sarkozy was not there for a social visit but to receive envelopes stuffed with cash.
The allegation is part of a scandal that is consuming France. It began last month with secret tapes recorded by the 87-year-old billionaire’s butler and leaked to the media. Those revealed the existence of secret bank accounts in Switzerland and purchases of property abroad — none of which was declared to the tax authorities.
It has also been alleged that the heiress managed to evade tax with the assistance of the Sarkozy government.
But the latest allegation is the first to directly implicate Mr. Sarkozy and has been fiercely denied.
“That’s totally false,” said an official in the French President’s office.
Mr. Sarkozy responded himself yesterday. “I would love it so much if the country could excite itself over the big problems … rather than to get wrapped up in the first horror, a slander with only one goal, to smear with no basis in reality.”
Claire T. worked for the Bettencourts for 12 years before being fired — she agreed to testify in a case brought against Ms. Bettencourt by her daughter.
The woman told the investigative website Mediapart, “Mr. Sarkozy was often entertained by the Bettencourts and also got his envelope. This took place in the little room on the first floor next to the dining room.
“It usually happened after the meal and everyone in the house knew what was going on … that Sarkozy came to the house to be paid. He was a regular.”
Because the Bettencourts were both quite deaf, Mr. Sarkozy had to speak loudly so it was easy for everyone to hear what was going on, added Claire T.
In addition, “Dédé [André Bettencourt] liked to spread it around widely,” she said of the payments.
The bookkeeper said her duties included withdrawing cash for the payoffs from the couple’s bank accounts. Along with Mr. Sarkozy, recipients included Éric Woerth, his campaign finance manager, and now Labour Minister, she said.
The payoffs were usually in amounts of €50,000-€100,000 ($66,000-$133,000), though Claire T. recalled an incident when Mr. Woerth asked for — and got — ¤150,000 ($200,000), which was above her withdrawal limit at the bank. She explained she was worried about drawing out such a large amount in cash because it might attract the attention of the tax authorities.
Donations to politicians and their parties are strictly limited in France, at €7,500 ($9,900) for parties and €4,600 ($6,100) to individuals
The French President is facing mounting pressure to clean house by firing Mr. Woerth.
François Fillon, the Prime Minister, called the claims “slander, this is a systematic destabilization campaign.”
In Paris, a parliamentary debate turned ugly when François Baroin, the Budget Minister, accused the opposition of doing the work of the far right in pursuing the scandal, prompting a walk-out by Socialist deputies.
Mr. Sarkozy’s approval ratings are at their lowest levels since his 2007 election and he faces an uphill battle to get reforms back on track before seeking re-election in 2012.
An opinion poll by the Ifop agency found 69% of French voters would like to see an immediate Cabinet reshuffle.
For his part, Mr. Woerth has insisted he did nothing wrong and said he would not resign.
“My party has not received a single illegal euro. That’s enough!” he said.
“I have been treasurer for eight years. No one can say I did anything wrong.”
Last week, Mr. Sarkozy defended the Labour Minister after it was revealed his wife Florence worked for a firm that helped manage Ms. Bettencourt’s $22-billion personal fortune.
Claire T. said Patrice de Maistre, the heiress’s financial advisor, had hired Ms. Woerth as a favour to her husband and because she might provide a useful link to him, but regretted the appointment.
Soon after Ms. Woerth was hired, her husband presided at a ceremony during which Mr. de Maistre became a member of the Légion d’Honneur.
With the head of state now personally implicated, key right-wing allies, including Jean-François Copé, the UMP leader in parliament, called on the President to “speak to the French people” about the scandal.
“The President says he is in control of the timing, but Woerth is more and more under fire. It’s becoming politically difficult,” added Jacques Myard, another UMP lawmaker.
Presidential aides confirmed Mr. Sarkozy was considering making a televised address.
Benoît Hamon, spokesman for the opposition Socialists, called for a reshuffle and said the allegations meant Mr. Woerth no longer had the “legitimacy” to be the government’s architect of pension reform.
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