A New Scandal for Sarko

Sarkozy's government is embroiled in yet another scandal -- this time involving France's richest woman, a family feud and illegal campaign donations.

Surprise, surprise, Sarkozy has found himself embroiled in yet another political scandal. Primary shareholder of multi-billion dollar cosmetics corporation, L’Oréal, and France’s richest woman, Liliane Bettencourt has dragged Sarkozy and his close political ally, Labor Minister Eric Woerth, into a scandal involving a family feud, illegal campaign donations, tax evasion, pension policy reform, and potential government reshuffling.

Woerth – treasurer of Sarkozy’s UMP party during the 2007 presidential campaign – has not only been accused of covering up Bettencourt’s tax evasion, but of also accepting illegal campaign donations from the heiress.  Accusers claim that Bettencourt frequently held dinner parties, at the end of which she would not-so-secretly distribute cash-stuffed envelopes to UMP officials.

But alas, the scandal does not stop with allegations that enormous sums of cash were secretly exchanged at exclusive, high society dinner parties.  Woerth’s involvment and probable culpability were further enhanced when it was discovered that his wife, Florence Woerth, was Bettencourt’s previous investment advisor and that Bettencourt has a slew of secret bank accounts in both the Seychelles islands and Switzerland.

How did the public find out? … Thanks to the bookkeeper, the butler, and the vengeful daughter, of course! Weapon of choice: tape recorder. Where: the Bettencourt mansion.

If you’re thinking this sounds more like a game of Clue or some daytime soap opera, you’re precisely right.

While the butler and the daughter conspired in taping Bettencourt’s private conversations, the bookkeeper claims that she had been informed by Bettencourt of a plan to withdraw €150,000 in cash, which she intended on personally giving to Woerth.

“The whole thing seems almost too ludicrous to believe,” claims a French source. “I think we will just have to wait and see what bank statements reveal before jumping to conclusions based on questionable testimonies by potentially compromised [Bettencourt] staffers.”

Unfortunately for Sarkozy, regardless of subsequent findings, the vigorous rumor mill has done its part in implicating the president in yet another scandal.  Even Sarko’s Prime Minister, Francois Fillion, has admitted that these rumors are undoubtedly the most ruinous to date.

“At this point, nothing shocks us,” says a friend, and previous Sarko-supporter.

However, despite the escalating drama and plummeting support for Sarko, Woerth has refused to resign, claiming that these are merely vengeful rumors aimed at destroying the Labor Minister’s unpopular endeavor to reform the country’s pension system.

In response to demands for a cabinet reshuffle from both voters and parliamentary officials, Sarkozy has continued to deny the allegations, pleading with French citizens to focus on the “important issues,” such as healthcare, pension reform, national security, and virtually everything not related to his government’s most recent drama.