French Court Confirms Fillon's Conviction in Embezzlement Case, Orders New Sentencing Trial

On April 25, 2024, France's Court of Cassation validated the conviction of former French Prime Minister François Fillon in a fake jobs scandal that derailed his 2017 presidential bid. The court upheld Fillon's guilt in the embezzlement case but ordered a new trial to determine his sentence and the amount of damages to be paid.

Fillon, 70, was sentenced on appeal in May 2022 to four years in jail, with three years suspended, and a fine of 375,000 euros for providing a fake parliamentary assistant job to his wife, Penelope Fillon. She received a suspended two-year prison sentence and was ordered to pay the same fine. The couple was also required to repay 800,000 euros to the National Assembly.

The Court of Cassation dismissed numerous defense arguments, definitively confirming the guilt of Fillon, his wife, and his former deputy Marc Joulaud. However, the court found that the Paris Court of Appeal had not sufficiently justified the firm part of Fillon's sentence and ordered a new hearing to re-examine his prison term, fine, ineligibility, and the amount of damages.

Why this matters: The Fillon affair, also known as "Penelopegate," rocked the 2017 French presidential election campaign and raised questions about the misuse of public funds by politicians. The case's resolution, seven years later, underscores the French judiciary's commitment to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

The Fillon camp had hoped for a completely new trial, but this argument was dismissed by the Court of Cassation. "Only the question of the quantum of the sentence will be re-examined," said Prosecutor François Molins, affirming that the court "rejected the main arguments of the defense."

Despite the convictions, the Fillons maintain that Penelope Fillon had legitimately performed constituency work. The case initially emerged in January 2017, when the satirical newspaper Le Canard enchaîné claimed that Penelope Fillon had been paid around 500,000 euros gross for a parliamentary assistant job with her husband and his substitute between 1998 and 2007 and in 2012.

The upcoming trial to reassess Fillon's sentence and the damages owed to the National Assembly will once again put the spotlight on this controversial political scandal. According to French sentencing norms, it is unlikely that Fillon will serve any time in prison, and he may instead be required to wear an ankle bracelet.

Key Takeaways

• French court upheld ex-PM Fillon's conviction in fake jobs scandal
• Fillon sentenced to 4 yrs jail, 3 suspended, and 375k euro fine
• Court ordered new trial to determine Fillon's sentence and damages
• Fillon affair rocked 2017 French presidential election, raised questions
• Fillon unlikely to serve jail time, may wear ankle bracelet instead