Prosecutors have appointed a judge to handle the case, deepening a probe into the presidential candidate. The former premier has witnessed his prospects for the French presidency dwindle amid corruption allegations.
French prosecutors on Friday pushed forward with a probe into presidential candidate Francois Fillon and his British wife Penelope over large sums of cash she received for an alleged position she may not have fulfilled.
Prosecutors appointed a magistrate to investigate the allegations that Penelope Fillon received 830,000 euros ($900,000) as a parliamentary aide over a period of 15 years. However, she has been accused of not having held the job.
Although police had opened a probe into the allegations, the prosecutors' latest decision placed more resources into the investigation, which has dented the French right-of-center politician's presidential hopes.
The magistrate has the ability to further investigate the matter by placing suspects under house arrest or tapping communications.
Fillon, who served as prime minister during Nicholas Sarkozy's presidency, has consistently denied any culpability, saying his wife has the right to meaningful employment.
'No jurisdiction'
Lawyers representing Fillon said they had no doubt investigators would find the couple innocent.
Earlier this month Fillon's lawyers called on prosecutors to drop the investigation, describing it as a probe that "completely tramples democratic principles."
"The financial prosecutor has no jurisdiction and its inquiry is, therefore, illegal," Fillon's lawyer Antonin Levy told reporters.
Since the allegations emerged in an investigative report by the satirical "Le Canard Enchaine," Fillon has witnessed his support drop significantly in the run-up to the presidential elections slated for late April and early May.
An opinion poll by the "JDD" newspaper suggested that 65 percent of respondents wanted the former premier to withdraw from the presidential election.
The latest polls pit right-wing National Front candidate Marie Le Pen and former economy minister in the socialist government Emmanuel Macron against each other in the runoff round.
What you need to know about Francois Fillon and "Penelopegate"
Francois Fillon is struggling to rebuild his presidential campaign after accusations that he hired family members in "fake jobs". But what exactly has Fillon been accused of - and how has he defended himself?
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/A. Robert
Frontrunner no more
Many expected Francois Fillon to be a shoo-in for the presidency. The former French prime minister easily won the conservative primary with 67 percent of the vote. But then Penelopegate hit. Weekly newspaper Canard Enchaine reported that Fillon's wife Penelope and two of his children had received close to one million euros in salaries from Fillon, paid by the state. Fillon's popularity tumbled.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Bureau
Working for her husband?
It is not illegal in France to hire family members as parliamentary assistants - provided they have real jobs. Fillon's wife was paid 830,000 euros ($900,000) as a parliamentary assistant for 15 years, working (or - as some have suggested - "working") for Fillon and his replacement in parliament. Police are currently investigating whether Penelope provided services for the salary she received.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/Y. Korbi
Keeping it in the family
Reporters also revealed that Fillon paid his two oldest children 84,000 euros for working as assistants between 2005 and 2007. Fillon argued that he had hired Marie and Charles Fillon for their legal expertise - though the two were still in law school when they had jobs with their father.
Image: Picture-Alliance/dpa/R. Jensen
More accusations
Penelope was also employed at an art magazine from May 2012 to December 2013, where she was paid roughly 5,000 euros a month. The owner of the magazine had previously been recommended for France's highest honor, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, by then-prime minister Francois Fillon. Fillon has said that these two facts were unrelated.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Feferberg
A smear campaign?
Fillon has repeatedly denied charges that he used "fake jobs" to enrich his family. He has said that he employed his wife and children because he trusted them and accused the media of running a smear campaign against him. Nevertheless, Penelopegate has severely damaged the campaign of the 63-year old, who has sold himself to French voters as an honest family man keen on cutting public spending.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Desmazes
Certainly not a first
The accusations against Fillon are hardly the first of their kind in France. Ex-President Jacques Chirac was found guilty in 2011 of employing party members in "fake jobs" as mayor of Paris. Former president Nicolas Sarkozy is being investigated for illegal campaign financing, and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is suspected of paying officials in her far-right party with EU funds.
