L'Oreal heiress and France's richest woman Liliane Bettencourt (pictured) is accused of paying president Sarkozy's government €150,000 during the 2007 elections.
The allegations come from Bettencourt's former accountant Claire Thibout in an interview with French news website Mediapart.
The interview claims that Bettencourt's financial advisor Patrice de Maistre gave French Labour Minister Eric Woerth a €150,000 donation. The accusation is severe as an individual political donation cannot exceed €7,500 a year under French law.