Fraud investigation: Prosecutors push for suspended four-year prison term for ex-Prime Minister Fillon in the alleged false employment case
Rewritten Article:
François Fillon, the ex-Prime Minister of France, is still caught in the web of the controversial 'Penelopegate' scandal. On April 29, 2025, he appeared before the Paris Court of Appeal to face the latest developments in the case. The public prosecutor requested a four-year suspended prison term, a €375,000 fine, and a continued ban of ten years from public office. This proposal seeks to remove the initial one-year prison sentence, considering Fillon's lack of prior criminal records and his attempt at compensating the state for the damages caused[5].
The decision will come down on June 17, 2025[5]. If the court agrees with the proposal, this will serve as a significant precedent for similar cases, given the growing emphasis on political integrity and public trust[4][5]. The Penelopegate scandal surfaced in January 2017, when investigative reports exposed that Fillon's wife, Penelope, was paid for fictitious jobs as a parliamentary assistant[4][5]. This revelation significantly affected Fillon's 2017 presidential campaign.
Previously, on May 9, 2022, Fillon was sentenced to four years in prison, with one year to serve, a €375,000 fine, and a ten-year ban from public office for misappropriation of public funds, corruption, and related offenses[4]. Penelope and Fillon's former substitute, Marc Joulaud, were also given suspended prison sentences and fines, with corresponding ineligibilities[4]. However, the Court of Cassation ordered a re-evaluation of Fillon's sentence due to inadequate justification[5].
Fillon, who is now 71, believes the ineligibility sentence inflicted upon him is a "moral wound." Despite this, he has shown no intention of mounting a political comeback[5]. While Fillon's case is underway, another investigation opened in 2017 for misappropriation of public funds remains ongoing[4]. Fillon agreed to reimburse almost €70,000, covering the salary and social security contributions of a former parliamentary assistant, writer, and philosopher, Maël Renouard[4]. This action led to the closure of the preliminary investigation without further action by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office[4].
[4]: "Affaire Fillon: Ex-Prime Minister appeals to European Court of Human Rights"[5]: "Former French PM Fillon's sentence to be re-evaluated"
- The ex-Prime Minister of France, François Fillon, awaits the Paris Court of Appeal's decision on June 17, 2025, regarding his penalty for the Penelopegate scandal, which involves allegations of misappropriation and corruption.
- If the four-year suspended prison term, a €375,000 fine, and a ten-year bar from public office is upheld, this was request under consideration of Fillon's lack of prior criminal records and his attempt to compensate the state.
- Previously, in May 2022, Fillon was sentenced to four years in prison, with one year to serve, a €375,000 fine, and a ten-year ban from public office due to misappropriation of public funds, corruption, and related offenses.
- The penalties also applied to Fillon's wife, Penelope, and his former substitute, Marc Joulaud, who received suspended prison sentences, fines, and corresponding ineligibilities.
- Although Fillon is 71 and has expressed feeling a "moral wound" due to the ineligibility sentence, he has shown no signs of planning a political comeback in the general news and politics, or the policy-and-legislation sector, while crime-and-justice investigations surrounding the misappropriation of public funds remain ongoing.
