Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PARIS (AP) — An ex-prime minister under Jacques Chirac who was once convicted in a corruption scandal and handed a 10-year ban on public office is jumping into France's 2017 presidential race.
Alain Juppe, 69, announced he would seek nomination as the conservative UMP party's candidate in a post on his personal blog Wednesday.
Juppe is mayor of Bordeaux. He was prime minister between 1995 and 1997.
Juppe was convicted in 2004 for an illegal party funding scheme while he served as finance director at Paris City Hall during Chirac's tenure as mayor, from 1977 to 1995.
He received a 14-month suspended prison sentence on appeal, down from the original 18 months, and barred from elected office for a year, instead of the potentially career-ending 10-year ban handed down at the first trial.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
