CHIRAC FACTOTUM JAILED ON CORRUPTION CHARGES

CRETEIL, France October 18, 2005 (AFP) - Didier Schuller, a former politician from French president Jacques Chirac's Gaullist party, was convicted of taking kickbacks from building companies Tuesday and sent to jail for two years.

Schuller, a former director of the public works office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, was also fined EUR 150,000 euros for arranging the payments, which were made over seven years from 1988.

In July's trial the court heard that Schuller used the money to finance his personal campaign to beome a departmental councillor for Chirac's Rally for the Republic (RPR) party.

Schuller, 58, who fled abroad for several years to escape charges, has claimed throughout that he is a scapegoat for practices that were general during Chirac's long tenure of the Paris mayorship from 1979 to 1995.

"I was just an air-steward on the airline, and you can't blame a steward when there's a crash," Schuller said after the verdict.

[Emphasis added.]

Ah, but, M. Schuller, of course France can blame you and France just did -- to the tune of €150,000 and two years enforced state hospitality (actually 5, with 3 years suspended). M. Schuller's lame metaphor aside, there is certainly truth in his claim that he was nothing special, that he did nothing considered prosecutable by Jack and crew. Who would demand ethical principles from an air-steward?

One of the winning slogans in the last French presidential run-off was "Vote for the crook not the fascist". M. Le Pen was the fascist.

PFFT (What is this?): Pathetic metaphoring 4 | Little fish defense 4 | Rayonnement français 0

Shocking !!! corruption in government.

Mr. Ryan,

Thank you for your spirited -- though brief, though missing the point -- defense of corruption in the French government.

No doubt Jack will be glad to know he can count on your support. Why not drop him a line here:

http://www.elysee.fr/ecrire/index.html

He likes well-heeled Americans.

Regards,
DGB