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Boris Johnson has refused to deny an alleged affair with a US businesswoman being investigated for receiving public funds.
In an interview with Sky News on Tuesday, the Prime Minister was asked three times about the alleged affair with Jennifer Arcuri when he was Mayor of London but refused to deny it outright.
He told political editor Beth Rigby: “I’ve said what I have to say about that matter,” adding: “I think perhaps the most important point is that I’m very, very proud of everything we did in London.”
Ms Rigby then pressed him to confirm he was not denying the affair, to which he responded: “The crucial thing is that in terms of promoting London, everything was done with complete propriety.”
Asked about the accusation from Labour he misused public funds, Mr Johnson said: “I can certainly say there was absolutely no question of that at all.”
Ms Arcuri was given a total of £126,000 in taxpayers’ cash, privileged access to three overseas trade missions led by Mr Johnson and referred to him as “one of her best friends,” The Sunday Times reported at the weekend.
It sparked an investigation by the government’s culture department into a £100,000 grant won by her company Hacker House.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has been asked to decide if Mr Johnson should be investigated for the criminal offence of misconduct in public office.
Mr Johnson has previously insisted there was “no interest to declare” amid his links with Ms Arcuri.
He told the Andrew Marr show: “Everything was done with full propriety.”
The Prime Minister also admitted in an interview with ITV News that he could not remember the lunch at which is alleged to have groped a female journalist despite repeatedly denying the incident took place.
Asked about the claim, Mr Johnson said: “I can tell you that it is not true.”
He was then asked whether he could recall the lunch that took place 20 years ago he said: “I don’t know to be honest, I have no memory whatever.”
The Prime Minister was accused of squeezing Charlotte Edwardes’ thigh at the offices of The Spectator magazine in London shortly after he became editor in 1999.
