Patrick Buisson, then a close adviser to the Head of State, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and a 150,000 euro fine and the former pollster Pierre Giacometti was given a 6-month suspended sentence and a 70,000 euro fine. At the time director of cabinet, Emmanuelle Mignon was sanctioned with a 6-month suspended sentence. On the other hand, the former opinion leader Julien Vaulpré was released.
Locked down for more than a month in the Health prison, the former Minister of the Interior Claude Guéant, 77, was not present in the box for the reading of the judgment of the 32nd correctional chamber, being represented by his lawyer. He had been sentenced in the case of the cash bonuses of the Ministry of the Interior to a sentence of 2 years, including one year suspended on probation.
The court found him guilty of favoritism. Given the “seriousness” of the facts and “the personality” of Claude Guéant, the court considered that there was no need to adjust the firm part of the sentence.
In this case, the court ruled that the millions of euros in political advice and polls billed at the Elysée between 2007 and 2012 by the companies of Patrick Buisson and Pierre Giacometti, as well as by the Institut Ipsos, had done well. object of favoritism.
Two contracts signed by Patrick Buisson, 72, also constitute a misappropriation of public funds to the tune of 1.4 million euros, explained President Benjamin Blanchet.
According to these conventions, the historian from the far right was paid 10,000 euros per month for advice and might also deliver polls at his own discretion: between 2007 and 2009, he bought and then resold 235 opinion polls, with margins of 65 to 71%, for a profit of 1.4 million euros.
Patrick Buisson was also sentenced for misuse of corporate assets to the detriment of his companies.
The court finally considered that the one who was director of cabinet, Emmanuelle Mignon, should be condemned for favoritism and embezzlement of public funds by negligence, for having signed some of these disputed contracts.
Claude Guéant is appealing his conviction
Claude Guéant, via his lawyer, directly announced that he intended to appeal this decision. The former Minister of the Interior, imprisoned since December 13 because of a previous conviction, was found guilty, in his absence, of favoritism. The court considered that, given the “seriousness” of the facts and the “personality” of Claude Guéant, there was no need to adjust the firm part of his sentence.
