A BARNACLE has nothing on François Fillon. Neither scandals nor broken promises nor the defection of allies can prise the Republican candidate from his presidential campaign. Each week brings new details of his questionable practices as a businessman-politician. Last week a court put him under formal investigation for steering about €900,000 ($970,000) of public funds over 25 years to family members who it seems did little to earn it. Mr Fillon, despite a solemn vow to quit if this happened, decided to hang on.
In a televised debate on March 20th the candidate alluded to having made mistakes. One was surely his failure to declare gifts of nearly €50,000 since 2012 in the form of finely stitched suits from a Paris tailor. More damning was the news, leaked on March 21st, that investigators are looking into allegations of aggravated fraud and forgery. Reportedly these concern documents signed by Mr Fillon’s wife, Penelope, declaring the hours she claims to have worked.
The very next day Le Canard Enchaîné, an investigative weekly, reported that Mr Fillon had been paid $50,000 to lobby for a Lebanese billionaire, Fouad Makhzoumi, who...Continue reading
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