Sarkozy rejects cash claim says France not corrupt
Nicolas Sarkozy
Sarkozy rejects cash claim  says France not corrupt
 President Nicolas Sarkozy firmly rejected on Monday allegations that he took illegal cash donations from France's richest woman  declaring "France is not a corrupt country."
 Sarkozy backed Labour Minister Eric Woerth  accused of accepting 150 000 euros (190 000 dollars) from L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt as chief fundraiser for the 2007 campaign.
 "France is not a corrupt country " the president declared in a prime time interview on French television. "The political class  left and right alike  is in general honest. French public officials are people of great rigour."
 The three-week scandal has weakened Sarkozy  whose poll ratings have hit their lowest level since he took office in 2007 and who is fighting a difficult battle on pension reform  a centrepiece of his political agenda.
 Sarkozy said it was a disgrace to accuse him of visiting Bettencourt's home to pick up illegal cash donations  and suggested those behind the allegations were taking part in "defamation  a campaign."
 "Eric Woerth is an honest man  a competent man. He enjoys my full confidence " Sarkozy said  during the interview broadcast on state television from the gardens of the Elysee presidential palace.
 But Sarkozy said he would advise Woerth to step down as treasurer of the majority UMP party to "devote himself exclusively to pension reform."
 And  in a gesture to critics who say Woerth's party and ministerial roles are incompatible  Sarkozy said he wanted a cross-party commission to draft guidelines "to avoid in the future any form of conflict of interest."
 Sarkozy argued that if money had been his prime motivation  he would have chosen "another career than politics  serving my country  as I have over the last 35 years."
 He spoke after police searched seven homes and offices including that of a friend to Bettencourt as part of several probes involving the billionaire  from a family feud to allegations of illegal campaign financing.
 She was also one of the biggest beneficiaries of a tax break for the wealthy passed by Sarkozy after he won the 2007 election  receiving a lawful 30-million- euro rebate.
 Sarkozy "is the main obstacle in the way of independent justice. He is the main obstacle to allowing truth to emerge " said Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon.
[TGT] rejects cash claim  says France not corrupt
 [TGT] firmly rejected on Monday allegations that [TGT] took illegal cash donations from France's richest woman  declaring "France is not a corrupt country.[TGT] backed Labour Minister Eric Woerth  accused of accepting 150 000 euros (190 000 dollars) from L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt as chief fundraiser for the 2007 campaign.
 "France is not a corrupt country " [TGT] declared in a prime time interview on French television. "The political class  left and right alike  is in general honest. French public officials are people of great rigour."
 The three-week scandal has weakened [TGT]whose poll ratings have hit their lowest level since [TGT] took office in 2007 and who is fighting a difficult battle on pension reform  a centrepiece of [TGT] political agenda.
 [TGT] said [TGT] was a disgrace to accuse [TGT] of visiting Bettencourt's home to pick up illegal cash donations  and suggested those behind the allegations were taking part in "defamation  a campaign."
 "Eric Woerth is an honest man  a competent man. He enjoys my full confidence [TGT] said  during the interview broadcast on state television from the gardens of the Elysee presidential palace.
 But [TGT] said [TGT] would advise Woerth to step down as treasurer of the majority UMP party to "devote himself exclusively to pension reform."
 And  in a gesture to critics who say Woerth's party and ministerial roles are incompatible  [TGT] said [TGT] wanted a cross-party commission to draft guidelines "to avoid in the future any form of conflict of interest.[TGT] argued that if money had been [TGT] prime motivation  [TGT] would have chosen "another career than politics  serving my country  as I have over the last 35 years."
 [TGT] spoke after police searched seven homes and offices including that of a friend to Bettencourt as part of several probes involving the billionaire  from a family feud to allegations of illegal campaign financing.
 She was also one of the biggest beneficiaries of a tax break for the wealthy passed by [TGT] after [TGT] won the 2007 election  receiving a lawful 30-million- euro rebate.
 [TGT] "is the main obstacle in the way of independent justice. [TGT] is the main obstacle to allowing truth to emerge " said Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon.