It looked like a scoop: newly elected French MPs Raquel Garrido and Alexis Corbière, a married couple and parents of three daughters, were accused in a June 22 article in the conservative weekly Le Point of using an undocumented Algerian immigrant as a domestic help too busy.

Two members of La France insoumise, close to Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Garrido is his lawyer), prominent left-wing populists who exploit the misery of the world - a journalistic dream.

To be too good to be true.

Aziz Zemouri, author of the article, posted screenshots of Garrido's messages on Twitter after publication.

However, the images intended as evidence were obviously crude montages;

the article was withdrawn the next day.

In fact, the journalist fell for a fake.

Zemouri also had to admit violations of the duty of care: He admitted that he had never been in direct contact with said household help, only having heard her voice on the answering machine once.

It never occurred to him to confront the accused with his information in advance.

Thanks to political alchemy, the false scandal becomes a real one: new details come to light every day, a real political and media thriller is emerging.

It does not stop with the release of the journalist by "Le Point" and an internal investigation.

Rather, after the screenshots were released, Garrido and Corbière filed charges of forgery and use of forgeries and identity fraud;

they are also suing the journalist and his newspaper for defamation.

Prosecutors have launched an investigation into fraud.

Zemouri has apologized to MPs;

they want his head.

What is the motivation?

More spectacular are the legal steps taken by Zemouri himself: the journalist has filed a breach of trust suit against Noam Anouar, a former police officer, and Jean-Christophe Lagarde.

Lagarde is a former MP and leader of the centre-right splinter party UDI;

it has in the past formed alliances with the Conservatives and with Emmanuel Macron's party.

In this year's National Assembly elections, Lagarde ran in the fifth constituency of Seine-Saint-Denis.

His challenger: Raquel Garrido.

The following course of events is emerging: At the end of May, Anouar contacted Zemouri, whom he had known for a long time.

Anouar reports on the alleged household help who was noticed during a police check.

Contact between her and Zemouri is established, but limited to text messages.

Anouar and Lagarde hope for an article before the second round of the general election - in vain.

Lagarde loses, Garrido takes his place in the Palais Bourbon.

After the scam is blown, Zemouri is able to confirm his suspicion that there was contact between Anouar and Lagarde;

Anouar admits this in a recorded phone conversation.

The question of motivation arises.

Anouar is caught between two chairs: he has worked for Le Média, La France insoumise's internet television.

However, he is currently employed by Drancy, a commune north-east of Paris whose mayor is Aude Lagarde, the ex-UDI MP's wife.

For Corbière, Garrido's husband, the matter is clear: the story was invented to secure Lagarde's re-election.

At the moment it looks like it - and thus a confirmation of the much-loved victimhood of La France insoumise.

But there may be another turning point.