The announcement marks the first official confirmation that the events on Downing Street and Whitehall violated the laws enacted by the Johnson administration – and it comes four months after the prime minister denied that a party had taken place and insisted that all instructions be followed. The so-called “Partygate” scandal, which erupted in late 2021, sparked the most serious threat to Johnson’s presidency to date. His early denials of any wrongdoing – coupled with the subsequent revelation that he had attended several parties investigated by officers – sparked calls for him to resign from the entire political spectrum. Tuesday’s police statement did not name any of the individuals to be fined and did not specify which of the facts under investigation were found to have violated the rules. CNN turned to Downing Street. Officers were investigating at least 12 incidents, some of which involved Johnson. The Metropolitan Police had previously revealed that they had handed over more than 300 photos and 500 pages of information for inspection.
