French candidate Fillon says wife 'has always worked for me'

Fillon, a conservative who is currently the frontrunner in opinion polls, said Penelope Fillon had been his parliamentary assistant for a number of years

Conservative French presidential candidate Francois Fillon. (Photo | AP)

PARIS: Under-fire French presidential candidate Francois Fillon on Thursday responded to claims that his wife had been paid 500,000 euros for a fake job by saying she had "always worked for me".

Fillon, a conservative who is currently the frontrunner in opinion polls, said Penelope Fillon had been his parliamentary assistant for a number of years doing tasks such as correcting his speeches and her role was "perfectly clear".