A campaign aide has confirmed the raid took place, saying police "finished" the operation linked to a corruption probe. The ex-premier has vowed to continue his campaign for the French presidency amid calls to step down.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/S.Boivin
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French police on Thursday raided the home of French presidential candidate and former premier Francois Fillon in connection to a "fake jobs" probe involving his wife.
The French daily "Le Parisien" reported that the raids took place in Paris' seventh district. A campaign aid later told reporters that the operations "finished several hours ago."
The center-right politician vowed on Wednesday to continue his presidential campaign amid a criminal investigation into allegations his British wife Penelope Fillon received nearly one million euros ($1.05 million) for a parliamentary job she did not hold.
Prosecutors last week appointed a magistrate to investigate the allegations, effectively placing more resources into the probe.
Fillon has accused authorities of politicizing the investigation, saying he has "not been treated like anyone else facing the justice system."
Dwindling support
Since his announcement, a campaign treasurer and three legislators of Fillon's Republicans party have quit his campaign. The center-right lawmakers said in a statement that the campaign had taken a turn "incompatible" with their political aspirations.
The presidential candidate has seen his support drop since the allegations emerged in an investigative report by French satirical newspaper "Le Canard Enchaine."
An opinion poll by the "JDD" newspaper suggested that 65 percent of respondents wanted Fillon to withdraw from the presidential election, slated for April with a runoff in May.
The latest polls place former Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron and right-wing National Front candidate Marine Le Pen against each other in the second 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.
