Washington Post publisher alleged to have advised Boris Johnson to ‘clean up’ phone during Partygate Covid scandal

Lewis has also been accused of using fraudulently obtained phone records for newspaper articles in the UK. Photograph: The Washington Post/Getty Images

Will Lewis, the Washington Post publisher, advised Boris Johnson and senior officials at 10 Downing Street to “clean up” their phones in the midst of a Covid-era political scandal, according to claims by three people familiar with the operations inside No 10 at the time.

The advice is alleged to have been given in December 2021 and January 2022 as top officials were under scrutiny for potential violations of pandemic restrictions, a scandal which was known as “Partygate”.