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Argentina's vice president is found guilty of corruption

Published December 6, 2022 at 8:01 PM EST

FILE - Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernandez greets supporters as she leaves her home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aug. 23, 2022. Federal court judges are preparing on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, to announce their verdict in the corruption trial of Fernandez who is accused of running a criminal organization that defrauded the state of $1 billion during her presidency through public works contracts granted to a construction magnate closely tied to her family. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)

Argentina's vice president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, was found guilty of corruption in federal court Tuesday in a case dating back to when she was president.

A three judge panel sentenced Kirchner to six years in prison and a lifetime ban from holding political office.

Prosecutors say she worked with others to skim nearly $1 billion from fake contracts and bogus construction of 51 public works projects when she was president.

Kirchner served as Argentina's president between 2007 and 2015 and masterminded a political comeback in 2019, running for vice president with Alberto Fernández.

Kirchner denies any wrongdoing and spoke right after the verdict, saying she is the target of the judges, whom she called a mafia running a parallel party bent on keeping her out of office.

Kirchner will not be jailed while appealing the verdict, which could take years.

She is a polarizing figure in Argentina, seen by her loyal base as a champion of the poor. Others blame her for the country's continual economic problems including inflation, which is expected to hit 100% by year's end.