France's Francois Fillon hit by fresh expenses scandal

Paris: French presidential frontrunner Francois Fillon faced fresh allegations of misusing public funds today as he made a passionate defence of his wife, who is accused of benefiting from a fake parliamentary job.

French investigative website Mediapart and newspaper the Journal du Dimanche reported today that Fillon had used his expenses to pocket up to 25,000 euros (USD 27,000) while a member of the French senate, which he left in 2007.

Last week, French authorities opened a preliminary inquiry into claims published on Wednesday by the Canard Enchaine weekly that Fillon's wife Penelope had been paid 500,000 euros as a parliamentary aide.

The new allegations about his expenses threw Fillon's campaign into more turmoil and led to a defiant speech in front of thousands of cheering supporters in Paris.

"It's more than me as a person that is in the crosshairs, it's a higher idea of France that they want to take down mid-flight," he shouted to cheers.

Mediapart estimated that Fillon had "siphoned off" around USD 27,000 from funds earmarked for assistants in the French upper house in a report published late on last night.

The Journal de Dimanche newspaper said today he had cashed seven cheques from funds intended for assistants between 2005 and 2007 for "a total of around 21,000 euros."

The claims add to mounting worries for the rightwing Republicans party candidate who had been considered the frontrunner for next April and May's election.

The allegations are potentially highly damaging because Fillon has promised major cuts to what he portrays as wasteful French state spending and has promised a moral leadership.

Recent polls have indicated support falling slightly for the MP from the northern Sarthe region, whose nearest rivals are shown as far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron.

The ruling Socialist party is choosing its candidate today, with ex-PM Manuel Valls competing with leftwinger Benoit Hamon.

The Canard Enchaine reported last Wednesday that Fillon's Welsh-born spouse Penelope had earned half a million euros from 1998-2012 working as his parliamentary assistant.

It said its reporters had been unable to find anyone who could testify to the work of the mother-of-five, who has always had a low-key role in her husband's career.

"They're trying to take me down, through Penelope," Fillon said today. "But I'm not scared of anything, I'm thick skinned. But if you want to attack me, attack me from the front. Leave my wife out of the political debate!"

During the speech Fillon's thousands of supporters cheered every time he mentioned his wife, who was at the rally and appeared on stage at the end.