Breitbart :
PARIS (AFP) – Francois Fillon, the rightwing Republicans party candidate for the French presidential election, is ensnared in a corruption scandal that has been dubbed “Penelopegate”.
Here is the furore explained in six key questions:
– Who is Francois Fillon? –
He was prime minister from 2007-2012 under rightwing president Nicolas Sarkozy, the high-point of a nearly 40-year career in politics.
He emerged as the surprise presidential nominee for the Republicans party in November, promising to slash public spending, cut bureaucracy and adopt family-friendly policies.
Since his victory in the primary, polls had consistently shown him as the most likely winner of the two-round election in April and May.
– What is he accused of doing? –
On January 25, the Canard Enchaine weekly, which mixes satire and investigative reporting, broke the news that Fillon had employed his Welsh-born wife Penelope as a parliamentary aide.
Citing pay slips, it said she was employed from 1998 to 2007 either directly by Fillon, or by the man who stood in for him in parliament during Fillon’s time in government.
Penelope was also paid around 5,000 euros ($5,370) a month between May 2012 and December 2013 by the magazine Revue des Deux Mondes, owned by a friend of Fillon, the newspaper said.
The Canard initially estimated Penelope’s pre-tax income at around 500,000 euros, but in this week’s edition said the family’s overall pre-tax income from the contracts was around 1.0 million euros.
Fillon also paid his two children Marie and Charles 84,000 euros as parliamentary assistants from 2005-2007, the paper said.
– Is this illegal? –
Employing a family member as a parliamentary aide is a widespread practice in France and not illegal, unlike in Germany or at the European parliament.
Fillon admits to paying his wife and children.
But there are suspicions that Penelope did no work for her parliamentary salary, which reached over 10,000 euros pre-tax a month in 2007, and that she contributed very little to the literary review.
An investigation was launched last week into the possible misuse of public money, a criminal offence.
Penelope had neither a parliamentary security pass nor a work email account. MORE
It’s more than an “accusation.”
It’s fact.
Funny thing is how “shocked” the French are at it.
Good luck to Le Pen.
Francois Fillon should have started “The Fillon Foundation”, hired his wife and children for double the money. It worked for the Clintons.
Or maybe signed a $20 Million dollar “Book Deal” like Obama.
He would be home free if he had destroyed the seized documents investigators now possess. Obviously not as corrupt or devious as Hillary. Must be a right wing conspiracy or the Russians did it, right Hillary.
The investigation will be concluded in 2 weeks.
The FBI and Comey’s finest will investigate.
It is rumored that Fillon was just careless and the FBI can’t find any intent. A La Hillary.
But he didn’t marry his high school French teacher like Macron did. So, there is that. On Le Pen!
Is there anything the French won’t surrender for?
Too bad. I really liked him in Firefly. Hasn’t aged well, though.
But, but, but, did he INTEND to bilk the taxpayer, MON DUI!
Kind of like Mooshelle’s do-nothing, high six-figure job at the Chicago hospital; the position was not filled after her departure in 2009. Or maybe Grandma Robinson’s “job” as white house Nanny?
He’d whip Tim Kaine in an eyebrow fight, that’s for sure.
Lula da Silva, Brazilian ex-president, involved in so many corruption scandals and investigations just became a hero because his wife, who also was being investigated, died today. She had a stroke and people were ready to say that it was caused by the oppression she was feeling, therefore she was “murdered” and is, as of now “a martyr, killed by right wing nuts”.