DOMINIC Cummings has alleged Boris Johnson was “funnelling money” to a newspaper run by his friend.
The former prime minister’s adviser during the first Covid lockdown made the explosive claims at the official inquiry into the pandemic response on Tuesday.
Cummings said there were “suspicions of possible corruption” surrounding Johnson’s relationship with the then-editor of the paper George Osborne (below), who served as chancellor in David Cameron’s Government.
It came as Cummings – who left No 10 after a major rift with Johnson over his shifting response to the pandemic – revealed his former boss would respond “constantly” to the media.
He said: “There was a general feeling in Number 10 that the way in which the [former] prime minister responded constantly to the media was extremely bad and extremely damaging to the Covid response.
“There were specific concerns about his relationship with the Barclays in the Telegraph.
“And there were specific concerns and also suspicions of possible corruption in terms of his relationship with Osborne, and funnelling money to the Evening Standard.”
He also said that Johnson had spoken to and met with Lord Evgeny Lebedev in March 2020.
Lord Lebedev and Johnson are known to be friends and was elevated to the House of Lords in the 2020 honours.
The Evening Standard and Osborne were approached for comment.
