Jennifer Arcuri has reportedly admitted having an affair with
Boris Johnson after allegations he used his position as
London mayor to get the businesswoman favourable treatment.
The prime minister avoided a criminal investigation after the
police watchdog found no evidence he influenced the payment of thousands of pounds of public money to her, or secured her participation in foreign trade trips he led.
Arcuri has admitted to having an affair with Johnson while he was with his then-wife Marina Wheeler, the Daily Mail reported.
“I think that goes without saying,” she reportedly said when asked if they had an affair. “It’s pretty much out there… But I’m not going to talk about it.”
In the interview, she also discussed being bombarded by his “avalanches of passion”.
City Hall resumed an investigation into Johnson’s conduct after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) closed in May.
The IOPC said it “would have been wise” to declare his association with Arucri and found evidence that they may have had an “intimate relationship”.Johnson, who was the capital’s mayor between 2008-2016, previously welcomed the IOPC finding and criticised the “vexatious claims” against him.
The PM was accused of failing to declare a possible conflict of interest as Arcuri was awarded various sums in public cash, including £11,500 by the mayor’s promotional agency, London & Partners.
According to The Sunday Times potential conflicts arose through Johnson’s association with the technology entrepreneur, who settled in London eight years ago. The paper claimed she had received up to £126,000 in public money and was afforded privileged access to three foreign trade missions Johnson led.
Arcuri has on a number of occasions refused to confirm whether she had had an affair with Johnson. She told the
BBC in 2019 that whenever he texted her “it was not just a sexual intention”.
“He actually was very intrigued by my energy, my ability to get things done. He loved my events and he saw the way I could work a room, the way I met everybody.”
In another interview she said he “cast me aside like some Gremlin”.
But she has always insisted there was “no interest” to declare in their relationship, adding: “He didn’t do me any favours.” Related...
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