France’s Court of Cassation has upheld the conviction of former Prime Minister François Fillon in a fake jobs scandal that marred his 2017 presidential campaign.
According to AFP, the court has ordered a new trial for his sentencing, which will take place in the coming months at the Paris court of appeal. Fillon, aged 70, was initially sentenced to four years in jail, three of which were suspended, and a fine of 375,000 euros ($400,000) for providing a fake parliamentary assistant job to his wife, Penelope Fillon, leading to the embezzlement of millions of euros in public funds.
Penelope Fillon was also given a suspended two-year prison sentence and ordered to pay a fine, with both ordered to repay 800,000 euros to the National Assembly. Despite the convictions, the Fillons maintain that Penelope Fillon had legitimately performed constituency work.
