French Socialists Urge Fillon to Exit Presidential Race Amid Scandals

The French Socialist Party (PS) on Wednesday called on The Republicans' party presidential candidate Francois Fillon to step down, following the latest claim alleging that he may have been paid $50,000 for arranging a meeting between a Lebanese businessman and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The PS alluded to the French weekly Canard Enchaine claiming earlier in the day that Fillon helped organize meetings between Lebanese billionaire Fouad Makhzoumi and several prominent figures, including the Russian President and CEO of French oil giant Total. The Kremlin has called the report "fake news."

"Nothing, nothing can justify your staying in this presidential race anymore… Therefore, we strongly urge you to withdraw your candidature from the presidential election. For the sake of democracy, for the sake of France," the Socialists said in a statement.

The Socialist Party also referred to the earlier media reports of two expensive suits offered to Fillon as a gift, a non-declared loan and "suspicious jobs."

The latter was likely a reference to possibly the largest scandal around the candidate, the one concerning his wife's past employment as his parliamentary assistant, for which she was paid, allegedly, without doing the job.

Fillon has repeatedly said that his wife's work was real.

On March 1, Fillon stressed at a press conference that he would not withdraw despite having been placed under formal investigation in connection to his wife's job. That led to several of his supporters leaving his campaign or withdrawing their support, including Former French Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fishing Bruno Le Maire and Senator Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, citing Fillon's earlier promise to step down if investigated as the reason for their departure.