According to an inquiry carried out by the radio France Inter, the Élysée Presidential Palace has seen its spending on the judicial protection of current or former government officials soar. This is especially noticeable with Claude Guéant, prosecuted in the “Élysée polls” scandal.

The figure keeps getting higher and higher. According to information revealed by France Inter on Friday, August 7, the Élysée Palace is spending more and more money to defend current or former officials of the Presidency of the Republic in court. The budget has been constantly increasing in recent years.

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The law of July 13, 1983, implemented this scheme. Since that day, it is the State that takes care of the legal costs of its staff.

If they are prosecuted in a case related to their function, they are entitled to enjoy “protection organised by the public authority employing them”.

In a report published on July 29, the Court of Audit revealed that the Élysée Palace’s budget for legal costs has risen sharply.

In just one year’s time, it has exploded, reaching 159,766 euros in 2019, compared to 2,352 euros in 2018.

Claude Guéant, one of the main recipients of the Élysée justice budget

In 2019, the Élysée funded the legal costs of 14 assistants or former assistants who are still subject to legal proceedings.

According to figures relayed by France Inter, two-thirds of this budget was devoted to three cases. Among them, the “Élysée polls”.

During Nicolas Sarkozy’s five-year term, the government is said to have ordered many polls and other opinion studies from private bodies, spending several million euros of public funds.

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The investigation suggests that Claude Guéant, former Secretary-General of the Élysée Palace, Emmanuelle Mignon, Chief of Staff to the Head of State, and Patrick Buisson, a former adviser to the then President Nicolas Sarkozy, are enjoying these legal fees which would pay for their lawyers.

Contacted by France Inter, Claude Guéant has confirmed this cost. The two other involved did not wish to respond to the radio’s requests.