PARIS (Reuters) - French presidential challenger Francois Fillon will face a full judicial inquiry into allegations he paid family members for fake parliamentary jobs after the country's financial prosecutor said she was appointing a magistrate to lead a deeper probe.
The escalation is another blow to the conservative candidate whose status as favourite to win the presidency has faded since the "Penelopegate" affair - named after Fillon's wife - first surfaced a month ago. But it may not stop him from standing in April-May vote.
