Entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri said Boris Johnson was known to have a ‘crush’ on her, but denied that her relationship with the former mayor of London had helped her gain access to foreign trade missions.

The American’s ties to the current prime minister came under public scrutiny last year following allegations that she received favorable treatment for her business ventures during her tenure as eight years as mayor.

Ms Arcuri made new allegations earlier this year to the Sunday Mirror that she and Mr Johnson had a four-year romantic relationship when he was in power at Town Hall.

Ms Arcuri testified before the Greater London Authority’s oversight committee on Tuesday in a bid to explain her ties to the administration headed by Mr Johnson at the time.

When asked who in the mayor’s office knew about their relationship, the tech expert suggested that there were “at least three prominent figures” who knew.

Appearing by video link, she told the committee, “People knew there was an interest (by) the mayor in me, that he had a bit of a crush on me.

“When we went to events, everyone could see the dramatic difference (in) this man when I walked into the room.

“People kind of assumed what they wanted, but there was never a discussion about it.”

But Ms Arcuri later said during the testimony session that her relationship with Mr Johnson had “really no bearing” on his business interests in the capital.

She confirmed that she had carried out a trade mission to Malaysia and Singapore due to her links with the town hall, but denied officially participating in similar trips to New York in the United States and to Tel Aviv in Israel, even if she was in both cities at the same time. time as trade commissioners.

When asked about her appearance at events in New York, Ms Arcuri said she was already in the US town and “wanted to attend some events with my London friends” as they looked for some extra business. .

The Prime Minister’s alleged ties to Ms Arcuri have obstructed his stay in Downing Street.

Mr Johnson avoided criminal investigation after police watchdog found no evidence he influenced the payment of thousands of pounds of public money to Ms Arcuri or secured her participation in foreign trade trips that he led.

However, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IOPC) said it “would have been wise” for the former mayor to declare their “close association” as a conflict of interest.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) Supervisory Board is investigating whether it behaved in a manner expected of those in public office.

Mr Johnson said his dealings with Ms Arcuri had been “done for the sake of convenience” and had previously welcomed the IOPC’s findings as he criticized the “vexatious claims” against him.