One of Jennifer Arcuri’s industry colleagues claims she boasted of having Boris Johnson “wrapped around her little finger” after he attended one of her company’s conferences.

Mike Butcher, editor-at-large of TechCrunch, claimed the US businesswoman made the comment after Mr Johnson spoke at an event organised by her company Innotech while he was Mayor of London.

Ms Arcuri’s links with the now Prime Minister came under public scrutiny earlier this year over allegations she received favourable treatment for her business ventures during his time in office.

In an interview with ITV Exposure, Mr Butcher said people had asked Ms Arcuri how she was able to get Mr Johnson to attend her inaugural Innotech conference in 2012.

Jennifer Arcuri controversy
US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri (Handout/PA)

He said: “She would sort of wink and smile, and say things like: ‘Well, you know, I’ve got Boris wrapped around my little finger’, and we’d all laugh.”

Asked if she remembered the comment, Ms Arcuri told the show: “[It] sounds like something I would say.”

She claimed it may have been her “cheeky little way” as a student to “hold whatever little power I had”, adding that it might have been made in a “fleeting comment”.

Ms Arcuri also said her cyber security business Hacker House benefited from being attached to a mayoral trade mission to Tel Aviv in November 2015.

She told ITV: “In fact what I have built now has been from what I went and learned and took back from my journey to Tel Aviv.”

Professor Alan Doig, a former member of the public standards board for England, suggested Mr Johnson could have breached the Greater London Authority code by not declaring a private relationship with someone he had dealings with in the course of his public duties.

Prof Doig said: “This would have been something that should have been declared just in terms of common sense and caution.”

He added: “It would be a human reaction not to declare it, but if you have the relationship and that person then has dealings with the Office of the Mayor and the authority, you should really completely detach yourself from those official dealings so that people do not misinterpret or take an adverse perception of what’s going on or you declare it.”

Ms Acuri was reportedly given £126,000 in public money and privileged access to three foreign trade missions led by Mr Johnson while he was in City Hall.

Earlier in October, a City Hall investigation into their relationship was paused following a request by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

A Conservative Party spokeswoman said: “Any claims of impropriety in office are untrue and unfounded.”

When Boris Met Jennifer will air on ITV at 11.05pm on Sunday November 17.