François Fillon

François Fillon, who served as Prime Minister of France from 2007 to 2012, has been involved in multiple scandals and legal proceedings, most notably the "Fillon affair" or "Penelopegate." This scandal emerged during the 2017 presidential campaign when allegations surfaced that Fillon's wife, Penelope, was paid for fictitious work as his parliamentary assistant, receiving a total of approximately €831,440 over 15 years, with some payments to their children also scrutinized (Wikipedia). Investigations revealed that Penelope Fillon was paid €300,000 more than initially reported, and that payments to their children may have involved little actual work (Wikipedia). Legal proceedings culminated in Fillon being convicted of fraud and misuse of public funds. On 29 June 2020, he was sentenced to five years in prison, with three years suspended, and his wife Penelope received a three-year suspended sentence. These sentences were later reduced on appeal to four years for François Fillon and two years for Penelope in May 2022. The Court of Cassation later ordered a new sentencing trial, and in June 2025, Fillon was given a suspended four-year prison sentence. Additionally, Fillon faced investigations into other allegations, including influence-peddling related to his consulting firm and undeclared loans from a billionaire, but the primary focus remains the Penelopegate scandal (Wikipedia; 2026 news). Most recently, Fillon withdrew his appeal against his 2025 conviction, making his sentence definitive as of January 2026, and effectively ending his legal battles related to this scandal. This withdrawal confirms the finality of his legal penalties, which include a suspended prison sentence, a €375,000 fine, and a five-year ineligibility from holding public office (2026 news). Throughout his career, Fillon has also faced other investigations and allegations, but the Penelopegate remains the most significant and well-documented controversy.