French parliament searched as part of probe into Fillon's wife's "fake job"

Fillon insists that he is the victim of a smear campaign.

PARIS:

Investigators are searching the French lower house of parliament as part of a probe into allegations that the wife of presidential candidate Francois Fillon had a "fake job", a parliamentary source said on Tuesday.

The raid is not taking place in Fillon's office, a Reuters reporter witnessed, while the source said it was likely taking place in the parliament's administrative offices.

France's financial prosecutor's office opened an investigation last week after the satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine reported that Penelope Fillon had been paid 500,000 euros ($535,050) from state funds as a parliamentary assistant to her husband and his successor, but that it could find no evidence that she had actually done any work.

Fillon has said his wife's work was real, and that he is the victim of a smear campaign.