French presidential candidate François Fillon has got himself in a bit of a pickle.

Actually, it may be more than a pickle, considering it could cost him the election.

Fillon had been the French Conservative party’s (Les Republicains) best pick for besting Front National party leader and extremist Marine Le Pen until last week when prosecutors started investigating Fillon for misuse of public funds. It came out that Fillon’s wife had been paid €500,000 over 8 years out of parliamentary funds for being Fillon’s “assistant.” While in France, it is perfectly legal to hire your wife as your assistant and pay her parliamentary funds, an investigative publication  Le Canard Enchaîné reported in an article that Fillon’s wife never actually showed up for work.

Since the investigation of this scandal, Fillon has dropped in the polls significantly, and some are worried it could mean the end of his campaign for president, leaving the road open and paved for Le Pen unless one of the candidates on the left can pick up momentum.

Learn more about what’s happening in the French presidential election:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lDCMKQgEVY&w=560&h=315]