Boris Johnson says ‘partygate’ untruths were honest mistake

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acknowledged that he misled Parliament about rule-breaking government parties during the COVID-19 pandemic. But he insists that he never intentionally lied. Britain’s boisterous former leader is set to be grilled by lawmakers on Wednesday over whether he lied when he repeatedly denied that staffers held parties in his Downing Street offices in violation of COVID-19 lockdown rules. He could be suspended or even lose his seat in Parliament if found to have lied deliberately. Johnson acknowledged in written evidence that some of his statements “did not turn out to be correct.” But he said they “were made in good faith” and he did not “intentionally or recklessly mislead the House.”