Jennifer Arcuri says she had ‘every right’ to go on trade missions with PM

American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri has said allegations that Boris Johnson bent rules to help her and her company when she lived in the UK are part of an orchestrated attack.

Ms Arcuri said she had every right to go on overseas trade missions with Mr Johnson when he was London mayor.

“I’m being used as collateral. All the allegations are false,” she told the Daily Mail in Los Angeles, where she now lives.

“Someone has gone to great lengths to put together a massive attack and I stand by the legitimacy of my business.

“I am in fact a legitimate businesswoman.”

Ms Arcuri added that it was a shame to see successful businesswomen “persecuted” and said she had support from other women who “see through these attacks”.

In an interview with LBC radio this week. Mr Johnson suggested stories regarding he and Ms Arcuri had come to light because of his Government’s stance on Brexit.

“There are quite a lot of well-meaning and highly intelligent people who basically think that that would be something they don’t want to see, and I think that there is a concerted effort now to frustrate Brexit,” he said.

Mr Johnson has been referred to the police complaints body to assess whether he should face a criminal investigation over his links with the American businesswoman.