On December 19, 2016, la Cour de Justice de la République—a French court with jurisdiction over cases against current and former government officials—convicted Christine Lagarde of using government funds in a criminally negligent manner, though the court spared her a criminal record or any actual punishment. Lagarde served as the French finance minister under the Sarkozy administration and currently the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to a news article, Lagarde still maintains the support of the IMF and various governments, including the United States. The case originated with Bernard Tapie, the former owner of Adidas.  Tapie was jailed on corruption charges and his shares were sold by the lender, Crédit Lyonnais, which the French government partially owned at the time.  Mr. Tapie sued the government for its role, and Lagarde sent the dispute to arbitration.  She ultimately approved a settlement of over 400 million euros in favor of Tapie, the total sum of which the court considered negligent. Lagarde may appeal on technical grounds to the highest criminal court in France, La Cour de Cassation.