Former French Intelligence Head Bernard Squarcini Sentenced for Influence Peddling in LVMH Case

Former French intelligence head Bernard Squarcini has been sentenced to four years under house arrest for influence peddling and breach of confidentiality. The charges stem from his use of security contacts for private gain, including obtaining confidential information for LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Squarcini was also ordered to pay a fine of 200,000 euros and banned from professional activities related to intelligence for five years. He plans to appeal the verdict.

In a landmark ruling on March 7, 2025, a Paris court sentenced Bernard Squarcini, the former head of France's domestic intelligence agency (DCRI), to four years under house arrest for influence peddling and breach of confidentiality [1]. Squarcini, 69, also known as "le Squale" (the shark), was ordered to pay a fine of 200,000 euros and banned from professional activities related to intelligence or advisory services for five years.

The charges against Squarcini stem from his use of security contacts for private gain, including obtaining confidential information for LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. The luxury giant, led by France's richest man, Bernard Arnault, was not charged but testified during the trial, denying any knowledge of a scheme to protect the company [1].

The investigation revealed that as early as 2008, DCRI officers were deployed to identify a blackmailer targeting Arnault. However, the scope of Squarcini's activities extended beyond his tenure at the DCRI. After returning to the private sector, he worked largely for LVMH as a consultant, and allegations of spying on François Ruffin, a former journalist and now a leading left-wing lawmaker, and his leftist newspaper Fakir emerged [1]. Ruffin filed a lawsuit in 2019, claiming that LVMH had contracted Squarcini to spy on him for nearly three years while filming the movie "Merci Patron!" [1].

LVMH eventually settled the claims for 10 million euros in 2021 [1]. Squarcini's lawyers, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard and Sophie David, stated that he would appeal the verdict [1]. The sanctions handed out by the Paris criminal court were broadly in line with what prosecutors were demanding [1].

Despite the severe penalties, Squarcini is expected to serve only two years of his sentence with an electronic tag, as is common in France for short sentences [1].

References:
[1] France 24. (2025, March 7). France's former spy chief sentenced to four years in influence peddling trial. https://www.france24.com/en/france/20250307-france-s-former-spy-chief-sentenced-to-four-years-in-influence-peddling-trial