[magellan]

"investigating whether people in Chirac's circle were given sham jobs as advisers, paid by Paris City Hall even though they weren't working for it."

Since when is getting paid for not working against the law in France?

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

No doubt, isn’t that the norm in a skiffy cut-rate socialist government? No penalty for slacking, no incentive to work harder, what do they think is going to happen? In socialism, much like the haunts of the liberals, you get a high position by knowing somebody. Merit, integrity, and work ethic need not apply.