Judge in Sarkozy case gets death threats

• Tweet

BORDEAUX, France, March 29 (UPI) -- The lead judge in a corruption case involving ex-French President Nicolas Sarkozy received a threatening letter and a bullet in the mail, officials said.

The threat arrived at the office of Magistrate Jean-Michel Gentil in Bordeaux Wednesday, Radio France Internationale reported

Investigators said a blank cartridge arrived with the anonymous letter.

The Union of Magistrates released a statement Thursday that said the letter included threats against Gentil's family and other magistrates.

The threats came after Gentil last week ordered a formal investigation into whether L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt was unfairly persuaded to donate thousands of euros to Sarkozy's 2007 presidential campaign, accusations that Sarkozy has denied.

Medical experts have said that Bettencourt's mental faculties began to fade in 2006

Thierry Herzog, Sarkozy's attorney, questioned whether Gentil has been impartial in the case.