Jennifer Arcuri says Boris Johnson has treated her like a 'gremlin' and a 'one-night stand' after questions over their 'close friendship'

• The businesswoman at the centre of an alleged conflict of interest controversy surrounding Boris Johnson says the prime minister has "cast me aside like I am some gremlin."
• Jennifer Arcuri told ITV that Boris Johnsonhas treated her like she "was some fleeting one-night stand or some girl that you picked up at a bar" since allegations against him hit the headlines.
• Johnson is being investigated for allegations that he treated Arcuri and her business favourably during his time as London mayor.
• He is accused of failing declare a close relationship with Arcuri before helping her business receive £126,000 in public money and overruling officials in order to grant her access to foreign trade missions.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The businesswoman at the centre of an alleged conflict of interest scandal facing Boris Johnson says the prime minister has "cast me aside like I am some gremlin" since the controversy hit the news headlines.

In an interview with ITV, Jennifer Arcuri said she was "heartbroken" by how Johnson has treated her since the media started questioning the prime minister over his links to her and his conduct while he was mayor of London.

"I've been nothing but loyal, faithful, supportive, and a true confidante of yours," she told ITV in a documentary aired on Sunday evening.

"I've kept your secrets, and I've been your friend."

She said: "And I don't understand why you've blocked me and ignored me as if I was some fleeting one-night stand or some girl that you picked up at a bar because I wasn't - and you know that.

"And I'm terribly heartbroken by the way that you have cast me aside like I am some gremlin."

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is deciding whether to investigate allegations involving the pair and whether Johnson failed to declare a personal conflict of interest during his time in City Hall. 

At the centre of the investigation is the allegation that Johnson failed to declare a close relationship with Arcuri before overruling officials in order to grant her access to foreign trade missions. Correspondence seen by Business Insider confirms that officials working for Johnson intervened to ensure her attendance on the trips.

Johnson is also accused of treating Arcuri favourably by helping her business, Hacker House, receive £126,000 in public money.

Watch Arcuri say Johnson cast her aside 'like a gremlin'

A Sunday Times report in September said that Johnson was a regular visitor to Arcuri's east London flat.

Last month, Arcuiri said it was "no-one's business" whether the pair were engaged in a sexual relationship, amid suggestions that the prime minister and the former model were having an affair.

Arcuri said that Johnson was a "very close friend" who she "cares about deeply."

In her interview with ITV, Arcuri said the prime minister "hung up" on her when she recently tried to call him.

She added: "When I expressed the interest to want to speak to him, I was told there are bigger things at stake and I was brushed off as if I was one of Kennedy's girlfriends showing up to his White House switchboard, you know, here to do my, you know, calling.

"And I felt so disgusted and humiliated that I was told bigger things are at stake, never mind you, he's too busy for you."

In response to the ITV documentary on the allegations, a Conservative party spokesperson said: "Any claims of impropriety in office are untrue and unfounded. We consider these are vexatious and politically motivated attacks from the Labour Party in City Hall.

"Previous vexatious and unfounded allegations against the Prime Minister have been thrown out by the courts. An independent review by the Government Internal Audit Agency showed the claims made by the Labour Party about Ms Arcuri's company were false.

"Given that City Hall has made an unfounded complaint to the IOPC, we will not be making detailed comments until that process has finished. Full assistance has been offered to the IOPC so the matter can be quickly resolved."

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