Clotilde Armand sentenced to prison: PSD accuses USR of hypocrisy following verdict
The District 1 Court has sentenced former mayor Clotilde Armand to one year in prison with execution suspended. The PSD calls for enforcement of a USR resolution from 2024 concerning the expulsion of criminally convicted members.
PSD attacks USR following Clotilde Armand's conviction: "The party of criminals and convicts"
The District 1 Court of Bucharest handed down its verdict on Monday, sentencing former District 1 mayor Clotilde Armand to one year in prison with execution of the sentence suspended, in the case concerning the raising of her own allowance. The decision is not final.
According to Gândul, the Social Democratic Party has reacted vehemently to the verdict, citing a resolution adopted by USR itself in 2024, through which members of the National Bureau voted unanimously that "any USR member who is criminally convicted of an intentionally committed offence, at first instance, shall be expelled from the party unless they resign from USR".
The 2024 resolution ignored by USR leadership
The PSD emphasises that this resolution was adopted during the full heat of the 2024 presidential electoral campaign, a period in which the first round of elections, won by Călin Georgescu, was later annulled. The Social Democrats accuse the USR leadership of having failed to enforce this resolution following the passing of sentence against Armand.
"However, despite the conviction received by Clotilde Armand, no one from USR's leadership has ordered the enforcement of the 2024 resolution and expulsion from the party", the PSD states, adding that Armand has publicly declared her intention to continue political activity within USR, citing the non-suspensory nature of the sentence.
Dominic Fritz, the second case cited by the PSD
The Social Democratic Party extends its criticism to Dominic Fritz, the current USR leader, who lost his mandate as mayor of Timișoara after the National Integrity Agency declared him in a conflict of interest. The PSD contends that the presence of both former mayors in the party demonstrates the "duplicity and profound moral crisis" of USR.
"USR has fallen into its own lie! After Clotilde Armand was convicted at first instance and after USR chairman, the convicted Fritz, lost his mandate as mayor due to a conflict of interest, USR is fully demonstrating its duplicity and profound moral crisis in which it finds itself", the PSD statement notes.
The Social Democrats further recall that, over the years, USR has persistently called on politicians from other parties to withdraw from public office even before being tried or finally convicted, invoking moral presumption. The PSD characterises this stance as a "trampling of the constitutional presumption of innocence", now accusing USR of proceeding in reverse towards its own members.
The Armand case: illegal raising of allowance
Clotilde Armand was referred to trial in April 2024, on the charge that she appointed herself manager of a European-funded anti-corruption project and thereby increased her monthly allowance. The case was opened after the National Integrity Agency reported that the former mayor had allegedly used her position to obtain supplementary income through a European project.
According to the prosecutor's indictment, "during the period May 2022 – August 2022, in her capacity as mayor of District 1, as a result of the issuing of Order No. 715/18.02.2022 through which she was appointed manager of the project 'Improving local administrative capacity regarding the development, implementation and promotion of anti-corruption measures' (…) the accused Armand Clotilde – Marie – Brigitte issued four orders which produced material benefits for herself, benefiting from increases in monthly allowances totalling 18,720 lei (gross income)".
The sentence may be challenged on appeal, and the trial therefore remains ongoing.
Source: Gândul