A place where escape goats go to play
https://notplanetrugby.com/
2 years under a bracelet 2 suspended ... plus if they appeal that part is not applying (the ineligibility is non suspensive)Biffer wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 11:09 am She left the courtroom before the verdict was finished - are you allowed to do that while you're being sentenced to prison?
Probably be in Hungary before this evening.
They have proof that the Higher ups were in it if not at the helm. (pretty much all the leadership were indicted and convicted).Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:10 pm What is distinct about what was done in this case Vs other parties who've on the face of it similarly (miss)used such funds and not received a similar sanction?
One doesn't want to rush to the defence of Team Racist but it certainly has an air of establishment convenience about the sentence. Thus the query, this may indeed be much worse than the normal abuse of money.
That would make them CrémanilsBiffer wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:42 pm It's only embezzlement if it's from the Embézzle region of France. Otherwise it's just sparkling corruption.
In Moscow, where the Kremlin is accused of crushing Russia’s democratic opposition, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that the verdict was a “violation of democratic norms.”
Le Pen and her co-defendants were accused of illicitly siphoning European Parliament funds to pay for party employees who seldom (or never) dealt with affairs in Brussels or Strasbourg. The court estimated that the accused had embezzled more than €4 million, €474,000 of which Le Pen was held personally responsible for as an MEP.
“In general, our observations of European capitals indicate that they are absolutely not averse to going beyond the bounds of democracy during the political process,” Peskov needled.
And that they loaned money to.Uncle fester wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 5:18 pm Interesting that the Russians would come to the defence of a far right party who are sympathetic to their aims...
tabascoboy wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 6:38 pm Yes I imagine that seeing their "investments" with Le Pen come to nothing is pretty galling!
As strictly by the numbers Bond that it was, got kinda pissed they never went ahead and filmed Koskov being herded into a duffle and obliged to seal the straps himself.
So Le Pen and her associates don't have plausible deniability, whereas the leaders of the other parties doing the exact same thing are more akin to our Post Office management and had no idea what was happening in the organisation they run?laurent wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:31 pmThey have proof that the Higher ups were in it if not at the helm. (pretty much all the leadership were indicted and convicted).Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:10 pm What is distinct about what was done in this case Vs other parties who've on the face of it similarly (miss)used such funds and not received a similar sanction?
One doesn't want to rush to the defence of Team Racist but it certainly has an air of establishment convenience about the sentence. Thus the query, this may indeed be much worse than the normal abuse of money.
This was done to fund the party and refloat their finances.
other cases like Fillon were punished heavily too.
on the other case judged recently there is an appeal from the prosecutor (as Bayrou got away).
Brussels pundits seem to agree that parties from just about every country and across the political spectrum have done something very similar, Le Pen is the only one dumb enough to have her own fingerprints on it. May prove a blessing in disguise for her partyRhubarb & Custard wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 7:57 amSo Le Pen and her associates don't have plausible deniability, whereas the leaders of the other parties doing the exact same thing are more akin to our Post Office management and had no idea what was happening in the organisation they run?laurent wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:31 pmThey have proof that the Higher ups were in it if not at the helm. (pretty much all the leadership were indicted and convicted).Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:10 pm What is distinct about what was done in this case Vs other parties who've on the face of it similarly (miss)used such funds and not received a similar sanction?
One doesn't want to rush to the defence of Team Racist but it certainly has an air of establishment convenience about the sentence. Thus the query, this may indeed be much worse than the normal abuse of money.
This was done to fund the party and refloat their finances.
other cases like Fillon were punished heavily too.
on the other case judged recently there is an appeal from the prosecutor (as Bayrou got away).
Cant remember the same outcry when Sarkozy was sent to prison for corruption? Le Pen was found guilty and sentenced as appropriate. If you dont want to do the time then dont do the crime.Paddington Bear wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:11 amBrussels pundits seem to agree that parties from just about every country and across the political spectrum have done something very similar, Le Pen is the only one dumb enough to have her own fingerprints on it. May prove a blessing in disguise for her partyRhubarb & Custard wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 7:57 amSo Le Pen and her associates don't have plausible deniability, whereas the leaders of the other parties doing the exact same thing are more akin to our Post Office management and had no idea what was happening in the organisation they run?laurent wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:31 pm
They have proof that the Higher ups were in it if not at the helm. (pretty much all the leadership were indicted and convicted).
This was done to fund the party and refloat their finances.
other cases like Fillon were punished heavily too.
on the other case judged recently there is an appeal from the prosecutor (as Bayrou got away).
It's a bit more tactful banging someone up after they have had their turn at being president though.dpedin wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:41 amCant remember the same outcry when Sarkozy was sent to prison for corruption? Le Pen was found guilty and sentenced as appropriate. If you dont want to do the time then dont do the crime.Paddington Bear wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:11 amBrussels pundits seem to agree that parties from just about every country and across the political spectrum have done something very similar, Le Pen is the only one dumb enough to have her own fingerprints on it. May prove a blessing in disguise for her partyRhubarb & Custard wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 7:57 am
So Le Pen and her associates don't have plausible deniability, whereas the leaders of the other parties doing the exact same thing are more akin to our Post Office management and had no idea what was happening in the organisation they run?
Le Pen was party president and masterminded the whole setup (the party as a moral person is judged guilty) she employed some of the fake jobs and knew about it for the others.Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 7:57 amSo Le Pen and her associates don't have plausible deniability, whereas the leaders of the other parties doing the exact same thing are more akin to our Post Office management and had no idea what was happening in the organisation they run?laurent wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:31 pmThey have proof that the Higher ups were in it if not at the helm. (pretty much all the leadership were indicted and convicted).Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:10 pm What is distinct about what was done in this case Vs other parties who've on the face of it similarly (miss)used such funds and not received a similar sanction?
One doesn't want to rush to the defence of Team Racist but it certainly has an air of establishment convenience about the sentence. Thus the query, this may indeed be much worse than the normal abuse of money.
This was done to fund the party and refloat their finances.
other cases like Fillon were punished heavily too.
on the other case judged recently there is an appeal from the prosecutor (as Bayrou got away).
There has been plenty of wailing regarding Sarkozy's first guilty judgement there will be more if he is found guilty at his current trial (Mr corruption has even more trials coming)robmatic wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:46 amIt's a bit more tactful banging someone up after they have had their turn at being president though.dpedin wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:41 amCant remember the same outcry when Sarkozy was sent to prison for corruption? Le Pen was found guilty and sentenced as appropriate. If you dont want to do the time then dont do the crime.Paddington Bear wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:11 am
Brussels pundits seem to agree that parties from just about every country and across the political spectrum have done something very similar, Le Pen is the only one dumb enough to have her own fingerprints on it. May prove a blessing in disguise for her party
I think there was plenty, just largely in a language I don’t speak very well. The reasons for the outcry are obvious and as I say it could backfire - they’ll run a candidate in conditions that are fertile to the far right who isn’t a Le Pen whilst keeping the Le Pen loyalists on board because they can claim establishment conspiracy.dpedin wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:41 amCant remember the same outcry when Sarkozy was sent to prison for corruption? Le Pen was found guilty and sentenced as appropriate. If you dont want to do the time then dont do the crime.Paddington Bear wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:11 amBrussels pundits seem to agree that parties from just about every country and across the political spectrum have done something very similar, Le Pen is the only one dumb enough to have her own fingerprints on it. May prove a blessing in disguise for her partyRhubarb & Custard wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 7:57 am
So Le Pen and her associates don't have plausible deniability, whereas the leaders of the other parties doing the exact same thing are more akin to our Post Office management and had no idea what was happening in the organisation they run?
I don't know how that works at a legal level to distinguish Le Pen's actions from other party leaders, so I don't want to say it's a wrong outcome, but it does feel a little two-tier given how widespread the practice seemingly was and is, for the other leaders to claim they didn't know would be on the face of it absurd. And as will have been noted many times it will allow FN to claim deep state corruption, and it's not easy to see if that helps those disgusting arseholes more than losing their disgusting leader hurtslaurent wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 9:25 amLe Pen was party president and masterminded the whole setup (the party as a moral person is judged guilty) she employed some of the fake jobs and knew about it for the others.Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 7:57 amSo Le Pen and her associates don't have plausible deniability, whereas the leaders of the other parties doing the exact same thing are more akin to our Post Office management and had no idea what was happening in the organisation they run?laurent wrote: Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:31 pm
They have proof that the Higher ups were in it if not at the helm. (pretty much all the leadership were indicted and convicted).
This was done to fund the party and refloat their finances.
other cases like Fillon were punished heavily too.
on the other case judged recently there is an appeal from the prosecutor (as Bayrou got away).
Fillon was found guilty (as part of his wife false job)
Bayrou was judged not involved in the scam (although his party was) let's see how that goes on appeal...
Was the Hoover ok afterwards?Slick wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 10:36 am Not sure if I've ever mentioned my possible night out with Sarkozy before.
Me and my girlfriend, now wife, were in a posh club in Paris and met with three girls from Birmingham who we ended up having a great time with. Towards the end of the evening this guy comes up to us who was the absolute spitting image of Sarkozy and starts buying us all drinks and then offering his cocaine. I was asking him all sorts of questions about being Sarkozy but he batted them away without ever actually denying it.
He then invites us all to go to his place for a party. He says he has a big apartment just up the road but wants us to go to his party apartment. Anyway, we all pile in his fairly non descript car and he starts driving (beer bottle in hand). After a few minutes I noticed we are being followed by a car with a couple of big guys in it. He drives us to a pretty dodgy looking high rise, parks up, and the other car parks up across the road. We go up to his apartment and he breaks out some very expensive wine and then opens a kitchen cupboard that is stacked with wraps of coke. Anyway, we stay there for a couple of hours as he increasingly makes it obvious I'm not really welcome. One of the Brum girls steps into the room naked with a Hoover and we decide it's probably time to go, after making sure the girls are OK.
Two weeks later we are in Notting Hill and bump into 2 of the Brum girls who are down in London singing by complete chance. Apparently when they left he organised a taxi, saw them out, and then got into the back of the waiting car from earlier.
Quite an odd night and I'm still convinced it was him.
Cockblocking Sarkozy is a fun claim to fame.Slick wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 10:36 am Not sure if I've ever mentioned my possible night out with Sarkozy before.
Me and my girlfriend, now wife, were in a posh club in Paris and met with three girls from Birmingham who we ended up having a great time with. Towards the end of the evening this guy comes up to us who was the absolute spitting image of Sarkozy and starts buying us all drinks and then offering his cocaine. I was asking him all sorts of questions about being Sarkozy but he batted them away without ever actually denying it.
He then invites us all to go to his place for a party. He says he has a big apartment just up the road but wants us to go to his party apartment. Anyway, we all pile in his fairly non descript car and he starts driving (beer bottle in hand). After a few minutes I noticed we are being followed by a car with a couple of big guys in it. He drives us to a pretty dodgy looking high rise, parks up, and the other car parks up across the road. We go up to his apartment and he breaks out some very expensive wine and then opens a kitchen cupboard that is stacked with wraps of coke. Anyway, we stay there for a couple of hours as he increasingly makes it obvious I'm not really welcome. One of the Brum girls steps into the room naked with a Hoover and we decide it's probably time to go, after making sure the girls are OK.
Two weeks later we are in Notting Hill and bump into 2 of the Brum girls who are down in London singing by complete chance. Apparently when they left he organised a taxi, saw them out, and then got into the back of the waiting car from earlier.
Quite an odd night and I'm still convinced it was him.
This really needs an invention or two or perhaps a highly implausible feat of physical sporting prowess or furniture balancingSlick wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 10:36 am Not sure if I've ever mentioned my possible night out with Sarkozy before.
Me and my girlfriend, now wife, were in a posh club in Paris and met with three girls from Birmingham who we ended up having a great time with. Towards the end of the evening this guy comes up to us who was the absolute spitting image of Sarkozy and starts buying us all drinks and then offering his cocaine. I was asking him all sorts of questions about being Sarkozy but he batted them away without ever actually denying it.
He then invites us all to go to his place for a party. He says he has a big apartment just up the road but wants us to go to his party apartment. Anyway, we all pile in his fairly non descript car and he starts driving (beer bottle in hand). After a few minutes I noticed we are being followed by a car with a couple of big guys in it. He drives us to a pretty dodgy looking high rise, parks up, and the other car parks up across the road. We go up to his apartment and he breaks out some very expensive wine and then opens a kitchen cupboard that is stacked with wraps of coke. Anyway, we stay there for a couple of hours as he increasingly makes it obvious I'm not really welcome. One of the Brum girls steps into the room naked with a Hoover and we decide it's probably time to go, after making sure the girls are OK.
Two weeks later we are in Notting Hill and bump into 2 of the Brum girls who are down in London singing by complete chance. Apparently when they left he organised a taxi, saw them out, and then got into the back of the waiting car from earlier.
Quite an odd night and I'm still convinced it was him.
nice
Fillon got same nothing political the judge applied the law.Marylandolorian wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 6:49 pm I’ve no problem about her conviction on embezzlement, she did it and was caught, but for me this decision is politically motivated and unjust compared to the previous cases as her sentence will be in forced even as she appeals it, which is often never the case in France.
Nope Fillon never got 5 years of ineligibility, zero zip, he just “retired” from politics.laurent wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 7:34 pmFillon got same nothing political the judge applied the law.Marylandolorian wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 6:49 pm I’ve no problem about her conviction on embezzlement, she did it and was caught, but for me this decision is politically motivated and unjust compared to the previous cases as her sentence will be in forced even as she appeals it, which is often never the case in France.
She and her accomplices stole 4M. end off.
Sarközy did thoughMarylandolorian wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 8:27 pmNope Fillon never got 5 years of ineligibility, zero zip, he just “retired” from politics.laurent wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 7:34 pmFillon got same nothing political the judge applied the law.Marylandolorian wrote: Tue Apr 01, 2025 6:49 pm I’ve no problem about her conviction on embezzlement, she did it and was caught, but for me this decision is politically motivated and unjust compared to the previous cases as her sentence will be in forced even as she appeals it, which is often never the case in France.
She and her accomplices stole 4M. end off.
On 24 February 2020, Fillon became one of the few prime ministers to ever go on trial.[64] On 29 June 2020, he was convicted of fraud and misuse of funds, and sentenced to five years in prison - three of them suspended.[65] Their lawyers appealed against the sentence and he remains free pending the outcome of the appeal.[66] On 9 May 2022, a French appeals court reduced Fillon's prison sentence shortened to four years with three years suspended.[67] His wife Penelope would be given a suspended two-year prison sentence for the embezzlement charge, down from three years suspended.[67] The court maintained fines of €375,000 for each of them.[67]