A judge has ordered Boris Johnson, who has been seen as the top contender to replace Theresa May as British Prime Minister, to appear in court and face allegations he lied about Brexit.
Johnson, former U.K. foreign secretary, has been accused of misleading the public by falsely claiming that it cost Britain £350 million per week to maintain membership in the European Union ahead of the 2016 Brexit vote, CNN reports. This claim was made while Johnson was campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union, and it appeared on a campaign bus.
Johnson has been ordered to face a private summons of three counts of alleged misconduct in office; the judge had been asked to summon Johnson as part of a private prosecution case, The New York Times reports. Johnson "repeatedly lied and misled the British public as to the cost of EU membership," the application against him alleges, Reuters reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Westminster Magistrate's Court judge said that the allegations against Johnson have not been proven but decided that "this is a proper case to issue the summons," meaning Johnson has been ordered to court for a preliminary hearing before the case can be sent to trial. Johnson's lawyers have dismissed the application as a stunt, NBC News reports, also saying that "none of the acts" that have been alleged took place "in the course of Mr. Johnson's direct parliamentary or mayoral duties" but instead during "the course of political campaigning."
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage ratethe explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
Sudoku medium: September 1, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revoltSpeed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich throwerSpeed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodusSpeed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official saysSpeed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judgesSpeed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policingSpeed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa CookSpeed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportationSpeed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
