"Boris Files" leaked

The documents, known as the "Boris Files", contain emails, letters, invoices, audio recordings and business contracts, shedding light on the workings of the publicly subsidized firm Johnson set up after leaving Downing Street in September 2022.

According to the British Guardian, which had access to the files, it was discovered that Johnson used the firm to manage a series of high-paying jobs and business ventures, which raises questions about possible violations of the so-called rules on the "revolving door", which regulates the activities of former ministers.

More than 1,800 documents cover the period from September 2022 to July 2024, with records also from Johnson's time as prime minister.

The documents allegedly show Johnson lobbied a senior Saudi official he met during his tenure, seeking to present a business offer to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for a firm he co-chairs, that he received more than £200,000 from the fund after a meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, despite previously claiming he had not been paid.

The documents also state that while in office, Johnson held a secret meeting with billionaire Peter Thiel, the founder of the controversial US data processing firm Palantir, months before the firm was awarded a role in managing the UK health system's data.

The "Boris files" also raise questions about the way of using the so-called public office allowances (PDCA), annual government subsidies intended for former prime ministers for expenses "arising from their special position in public life", which should not be used for private or commercial activities.

A senior Cabinet source confirmed that Johnson used funds from this program to pay staff in his office.

From October 2022 to May 2024, the former prime minister reportedly earned around £5.1m, or €5.9m, from 34 speeches.