A trove of hundreds of pages of documents touching on the relationship between an American businesswoman and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he was London mayor could bring a whole new world of woe to the beleaguered politician, The Guardian reported Saturday.
Notes and documents — including emails — are being turned over to officials after a demand by the Greater London Authority, which is investigating if Johnson abused his position as mayor to “benefit and reward” his alleged former lover Jennifer Arcuri, according to the newspaper.
Arcuri — a California tech entrepreneur who launched the Innotech Network and consultant company Hacker House — was reportedly provided special access to important contacts and some $170,000 in grants while she was living in London. She is said to be cooperating with a tandem London probe into possible criminal misconduct by Johnson.
The Observer reported last year that Johnson had allegedly overruled the advice of staff when he was London’s mayor to promote Arcuri’s business interests.
The Guardian reported that Arcuri herself has offered to investigators “hundreds” of fresh pages of notes and text messages allegedly chronicling her affair with Johnson, who was mayor of London from 2008 to 2016. He was married at the time to his second of three wives, Marina Wheeler. Boris has never admitted to an affair with Arcuri.
The GLA confirmed to the Guardian that investigators were “continuing to gather information in order to assess” Johnson’s dealings with Arcuri, and would report findings “in due course.”
Arcuri turned over what she said were diary pages she wrote during her affair with Johnson to veteran British TV journalist John Ware late last year, claiming that he tried to woo her in part with business deals. “How can I be the thrust, the throttle … as you make your career?” Arcuri claimed Johnson asked her, Ware reported in the Guardian, quoting her written comments.
Arcuri has suggested that it wasn’t sex that won her important contacts and income, but her utter persistence (check out the video clip up top).
The revelations are another burgeoning mess for Johnson, who is already under extreme fire for maskless, reckless Downing Street partying during the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK — and even while the country and Queen Elizabeth were mourning the death of Prince Philip on the eve of his funeral last year.
There was no immediate response to the latest Arcuri news from the Prime Minister or his office.
Read the latest Guardian story on Arcuri here.
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