Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is being ordered to stand trial on charges of corruption and influence peddling, in yet another humbling knockdown to the hard-charging conservative leader. In a separate case, a judicial official said Thursday that Sarkozy was ordered to stand trial on accusations that he tried to illegally obtain information from a magistrate about yet another investigation involving Sarkozy. Sarkozy's lawyer, Thierry Herzog, is also being ordered to stand trial, along with former magistrate Gilbert Azibert. Last year, a judge ordered a trial for Sarkozy and 13 others on charges of illegal financing of his 2012 presidential campaign. Sarkozy appealed that order to stand trial, and a decision on his appeal is pending.

Source: ABC News March 29, 2018 15:16 UTC