French candidate vows to fight on despite charges in jobs probe
Presidential candidate Fillon faces allegations family given jobs they never performed
PARIS— French presidential candidate François Fillon was given preliminary charges Tuesday in an investigation of taxpayer-funded jobs his wife and children received but allegedly never performed.
A top contender in a presidential election has never reached such a critical step in a criminal investigation, yet Fillon has vowed to keep campaigning less than six weeks before the contest’s first round.
The charges further damage the image of the former prime minister, who used to tout his reputation for probity.
And it further reduces his chances of winning the two-round April 23May 7 presidential election in which he once was viewed as the leading contender.
Investigating judges filed the charges Tuesday, Céline Clement-Petremann of the national financial prosecutor’s office said. It was a surprise move — Fillon had said the judges summoned him for Wednesday, but they apparently moved up the decision.
Fillon is accused of misusing public funds, receiving money from the misuse of public funds, complicity in misusing public funds and improper declaration of assets, among other charges, the prosecutor’s office said.
Under French law, preliminary charges mean that investigating magistrates have strong reason to suspect wrongdoing, but are seeking more time to investigate before deciding whether to send the case to trial.
Fillon has denied wrongdoing and vowed to continue his campaign.
“Yes, I employed my wife and the reality of her work is undeniable,” he told the judges according to a statement published by French media.
Fillon also said he “respects” the country’s judicial institutions and expects to “be treated as all citizens of our country.”
While it is legal in France for politicians to hire family members for legitimate jobs, the case against Fillon hinges on whether parliamentary positions he gave to his wife, Penelope, and two of their five children were real or fictitious.
Fillon’s family members insist they did the work for which they were generously paid.
Legally, Fillon’s case is about to enter a new phase. Politically, the con- servative candidate intends to keep campaigning.
Fillon initially said he would quit the presidential race if he were charged.
“Those who don’t respect the laws of the Republic should not be allowed to run. There’s no point in talking about authority when one’s not beyond reproach,” he said while running for the conservative nomination.
However, Fillon later decided to maintain his candidacy, explaining he has the legitimate winner of the conservative primary and that his Republicans party had no plan B to replace him as the nominee. Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this story.