A French newspaper says Fillon’s wife was his paid assistant for over a decade while she never once appeared at Parliament.
The satirical and investigative weekly Le Canard Enchaîné claimed that there were various periods during which Penelope Fillon, who was born in Wales, was paid a generous salary from public funds. His wife received as much as 600,000 euros to work as a public office assistant from 1998 – 2012, without ever showing up at the parliament building.
On a visit to Bordeaux, Fillon told reporters that he was “scandalised” by the paper’s “misogynistic” article. He added: “I see the stink bomb season has started”.
Former French Prime Minister – and the man many believe to be the system’s fake nationalist candidate – Fillon denied claims that she had been paid for fictitious employment, Reuters reported.
The national financial prosecutor however has opened an investigation into the allegations, which were made by the newspaper. The financial prosecutors’ office in Paris confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that it had opened an inquiry into the misuse of public funds.
The issue is all the more damning for Fillon because he is styling himself as an anti-system candidate despite 35 years of service to the system, promoting himself as honest, austere and “irreproachable”.
As Fillon’s lawyer went to the financial prosecutor in an attempt to clear his name on Thursday, his campaign coordinator, Bruno Retailleau, said the scandal – which was quickly dubbed “Penelope-gate” – will soon dissappear, but he might be too optimistic.
Rene Dosiere, a parliamentarian who tracks abuses of public money, said 92 members of parliament were known to have family members on the payroll.
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