Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote a letter recommending American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri for a job as the head of a technology quango when he was mayor of London, it has been claimed.
Amid a storm over his association with the former model, leaked emails showed Mr Johnson was listed as a reference in her application for the role at Tech City.
Ms Arcuri was said to have been a 27-year-old student at the time of applying for the £100,000-a-year job.
In an email seen by the Sunday Times she allegedly wrote: "I still have the letter of rec from Boris. hahaha.
"To think that we asked him to write us a recommendation for the CEO of Tech City is just hysterical."
She listed " Boris Johnson , Mayor of London" as a reference on the application, according to the paper.
The report adds to mounting questions about the Prime Minister's past links with Ms Arcuri.
Last month, Mr Johnson was referred to the police complaints body to assess whether he should face a criminal investigation over his association with the businesswoman.
It follows reports that she was given £126,000 in public money and privileged access to three foreign trade missions led by Mr Johnson while he was mayor.
The busInesswoman has told how she feels “betrayed” that he hasn’t called her since a storm blew up over their relationship.
The police watchdog is also probing him over public grants totalling £11,500.
Ms Arcuri has been engulfed by claims of an affair with Johnson and her ex-boyfriend Joe Yukich said she had been left “pretty fragile” by the Boris storm.
He told the Sunday Mirror: “She was waiting to hear from him after the story broke, but she never did.
“It amazes me she was holding out hope that Boris would reach out and come to her aid. She’s extremely smart, but she’s naive like that.
"She’s feeling betrayed by the Boris camp now.”
