Romania: court affirms prison term for chicken bribes

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A court has upheld the prison sentence of a former Romanian lawmaker known as "the chicken baron" who was convicted of bribing voters with 60 tons of packaged, ready-to-fry meat.

The top court of appeal rejected the appeal of Florin Popescu, who went on trial in 2014, a court official said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Popescu bought 60 tons of chicken for 485,000 lei ($120,000) for his campaign for another term as local council chairman in June 2012 elections. He protested he had not even eaten "a chicken wing."

Popescu later won a Parliament seat, but resigned on March 2.

It's not unusual for Romanian politicians to hand out oil and flour to voters in rural areas.