What was Georges Clemenceau’s role in the Panama scandal?

Georges Clemenceau’s involvement in the Panama Scandal was a result of his association with the financier Cornélius Herz, who was deeply implicated in the corruption surrounding the failed French Panama Canal Company.12

Due to this connection, Clemenceau was accused of receiving money from the British through Herz, a charge that severely damaged his reputation and provided his political enemies with an opportunity to attack him. In the Chamber of Deputies, he was publicly denounced as a protégé and supporter of Herz. Although Clemenceau challenged his accuser to a duel and successfully sued his detractors for libel, the scandal ultimately led to his temporary retirement from political life and his defeat in the 1893 elections.12