Hollande's senior advisor steps down on conflict of interest allegations

French President François Hollande’s senior political advisor has stepped down, following accusations of a conflict of interest and a lavish lifestyle. Aquilino Morelle resigned from his post on Friday, but has denied any wrongdoing.

François Hollande's senior advisor (R) Aquilino Morelle with Prime Minister Manuel Valls. Reuters

“In the last 48 hours I have had to deal with insinuations and allegations calling my honour into question," Morelle said in a statement. "I want to reiterate that I committed no fault. I was never in a situation of conflict of interest."

Morelle was under pressure to resign after the investigative website Mediapart reported that the advisor had gone against ethical guidelines for public servants in 2007. Morelle allegedly worked for pharmaceutical companies while he held a position as a senior official in the ministry for social affairs – earning 12,500 euros in the process.

Morelle was given the choice to either step down or to be relieved of his functions, according to the Elysee Palace, at which time he chose to resign.

Following the report on the Mediapart site on Thursday, Morelle made the announcement of his resignation on Friday morning.

"I have decided to put an end to my duties as an advisor to the presidency of the republic... to be entirely free to respond to these attacks," he said in a statement to the AFP News Agency.

Morelle is also being scrutinized for his reportedly extravagant lifestyle, which includes owning 30 pairs of handmade shoes and using the two chauffeurs at his disposal to pick up his child from school, Mediapart reported.

The site also reported that Morelle regularly dipped into the wine cellar at the Elysee Palace to complement working lunches.

Morelle has fought back, saying that a certain amount of “outside activities” are permitted by the law. However the advisor’s alleged extravagance may not sit well with French voters, who have been asked by Hollande’s government to accept spending cuts in order to fix the budget deficit.

With his already dismal approval ratings, President Hollande was quick to support Morelle's decision to resign, calling it the only "appropriate" one.