PARIS
A former French trade minister forced to resign over tax irregularities has now been accused of not paying his rent for three years because of an "administrative phobia."
French weekly Le Canard Enchaine reported Wednesday that Thomas Thevenoud had been informed he would be evicted from his flat in an affluent Paris neighborhood because he had missed so many payments.
Thevenoud has said he forgot, blaming what he called an "administrative phobia" which had led to problems paying his taxes and rent.
Thevenoud was asked to resign from Prime Minister Manuel Valls's second government in five months after just nine working days September 4 over "problems of conformity with his taxes."
He has been kicked out of the ruling Socialist Party over the incident, but has insisted he won't resign from parliament.
Le Canard Enchaine reported Wednesday that Thevenoud's former landlord had "called the interior ministry to tell his story" on hearing about his tax problems.
The paper says that Thevenoud, who was threatened of eviction, has since managed to pay all his rent debts and moved from the apartment. It is not the first time he has attracted unwanted headlines, having been photographed last year playing online Scrabble on his laptop during a gay marriage debate in parliament.
"Everything is settled now," Thevenoud told Europe 1 radio on Wednesday. “The last part of my payment was fully paid on September 1, 2014 for an amount of 41,475 euros including 12,593 euros in penalties."
The socialist lawmaker denied committing "fraud" and said he wants to "defend his honor and that of his family, and also restore his integrity."
The affair is another embarrassment to the embattled Socialist government of President Francois Hollande, which faces record-low approval ratings.
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