Attorneys for the French politician have hit out at financial prosecutors investigating payments made to his wife. Fillon's lawyer has said the prosecutor is "not competent" to investigate the matter.
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Lawyers for French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Thursday urged financial prosecutors to drop their investigation into allegations his wife was paid for a supposed fake job.
"The financial prosecutor has no jurisdiction and its inquiry is, therefore, illegal," Fillon's lawyer, Antonin Levy, told reporters, arguing that the candidate should be allowed to enjoy discretionary use of funds available to him as an elected lawmaker.
The probe "completely tramples democratic principles" and deals a "serious blow to the principle of the separation of powers," Levy said.
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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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'Penelopegate'
Initially considered a frontrunner for the French presidency, Fillon has been fighting to rescue his campaign, following accusations of embezzlement.
His wife, Penelope Fillon, had received 830,000 euros ($900,000) in public money for her work as his parliamentary assistant over 15 years. However, last month, the satirical "Canard Enchaine" newspaper alleged his wife never carried out any work in the role.
Fillon also employed his two oldest children, supposedly for their legal expertise, although both were still in law school at the time. Those reports only fuelled allegations that he used such "fake jobs" to enrich his family.
While having repeatedly denied the allegations, Fillon has seen his approval ratings plummet. Opinion polls show him trailing behind the Front National's Marine Le Pen and independent centrist Emmanuel Macron, making it unlikely for him to reach the presidential election run-off in May.
Fillon's attorneys also criticized the media for publishing leaked details of the investigation, saying the reports will likely have an impact on the vote.
"The financial prosecutor's office has a responsibility," Levy said. "It's important that voters don't have their election stolen in April."
