New blow for Sarkozy: French court says phone-tapping of ex-president, his lawyer was legal
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The Paris appeals court has ruled that investigating judges didn't break any laws when they tapped conversations between former President Nicolas Sarkozy and his lawyer in connection with a probe into past campaign financing.
The decision Thursday is a new blow to the conservative opposition leader as he eyes a 2017 presidential bid, because it allows investigations to resume.
Sarkozy is under preliminary charges for active corruption and influence-peddling based on information gleaned from the phone taps. He denies wrongdoing. It's among several legal cases he has faced since losing the presidency to Francois Hollande in 2012.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Sarkozy and his lawyer Thierry Herzog had protested the phone taps, saying they breached lawyer-client privilege. The appeals court ruled in favor of investigators, according to Herzog's lawyer, Paul-Albert Iweins.