Strauss-Kahn: A Step Closer to Freedom and the French Presidency?

July 3, 2011 — -- Former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn could be a step closer to freedom and find his way back into French politics as the sexual assault case against him may be in jeopardy.

Strauss-Kahn was released from house arrest Friday. He took advantage of his relative freedom, by leaving his apartment on Saturday with his wife by his side for an unknown destination for much of the afternoon.

Strauss-Kahn is accused of allegedly attempting to rape a maid at New York City hotel in May.

"We have maintained from the beginning that Mr. Strauss-Kahn is innocent of these charges and these recent disclosures reinforce our conviction that he will be exonerated," said Strauss-Kahn's attorney, William Taylor.

In a matter of weeks, if not days, the District Attorney could drop all charges, setting him entirely free after Strauss-Kahn's accuser's credibility came under fire.

Before the Scandal

Before the scandal, Strauss-Kahn, a prominent Socialist, was a leading candidate in the 2012 French presidential election.

The case against him was thought to have ruined his chances, but now that it may be dismissed, he is able to return home to France.

Some say his image is permanently tainted, but others believe Strauss-Kahn could still be a potent political force.

Former French government minister Jack Lang said he spoke with Strauss-Kahn's wife, Anne Sinclair, to offer the couple moral support.

Lang, who has known Strauss-Kahn since the 1970s, urged him to go back to France and join the 2012 presidential race, according to the Associated Press.

"He could be a good candidate," Lang said, according to the Associated Press.

While Strauss-Kahn is a giant step closer to freedom, the alleged victim's lawyer said she is not going away.

"The victim will stand before you and tell you because she said 'I will go to my grave knowing the truth, knowing what this man did to me,'" Thompson said.

Vance, whose office is prosecuting the case, said the investigation of what happened in Strauss-Kahn's Sofitel suite between him and the hotel maid who has accused him of rape, would continue.

But the turnaround in the case came after district attorney's investigators said they uncovered significant issues with the woman's story.

Discoveries that the maid considered financial gain, had questionable relationships with at least one alleged drug dealer and other issues in her past prompted prosecutors to present their findings to the defense, according to law enforcement officials and other people familiar with the case.

Prosecutors now say the alleged victim has admitted lying about her whereabouts immediately after the alleged attack.

They also say she has fabricated her income and even how many children she has to keep her housing and increase her tax refund.

Authorities also point to a conversation she had with a jailed drug dealer about how she could benefit monetarily from going forward with the case.

The victim's lawyer has said that his client has made some mistakes, but said that doesn't mean she wasn't raped.

He points to her physical trauma and the DNA evidence found inside the hotel room.

"The medical evidence supports the victim's account," Thompson said.

The district attorney's office also said that some type of sexual encounter did take place.

"We believe we have done nothing but to support her," Vance said. "Our office's commitment is to the truth and the facts."

ABC News' Rob Nelson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.