French President Nicolas Sarkozy has accused his former justice minister and current member of the European Parliament Rachida Dati of spreading rumors that both he and his wife Carla Bruni are having extramarital affairs , the Telegraph UK reports .

And--perhaps as a related consequence--Sarkozy took away Dati's limo and her three bodyguards. Dati confirmed that her car and guards had been removed, but said she didn't think the orders came directly from Sarkozy. She blamed Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux, one of Sarko's good friends.

Dati was appointed to her former post in 2007 after being introduced to Sarkozy by his second wife Cecilia, a close friend of hers. After Sarkozy left Cecilia and started dating Carla, his relationship with Dati suffered. He kicked her out of his cabinet but gave her the MEP post. And she allegedly hates it, once overheard saying, "I just can't take any more. I think I'll go crazy before I've finished my term."