Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: The first president of the UMP , Alain JuppÃ , a close associate of Jacques Chirac , resigned on 15 July 2004 after being convicted of political corruption in January of the same year .
Simplified: The first president of the UMP , Alain JuppÃ , a close associate of Jacques Chirac , resigned on 15 July 2004 .