Mayor aide's £100,000 for his 'darling'

5 April 2012

Lee Jasper channelled City Hall funding to two projects run by a woman whom he bombarded with sexually charged emails, the Standard can reveal.

The Mayor's senior aide sent a string of messages to Karen Chouhan, the company secretary of the 1990 Trust and director of the Black Londoners' Forum.

In one message to the 50-year-old married mother of three he calls darling, he wrote: "I love thee [sic] feet, ankles, legs, thighs, bum and belly, arms, head and brain. But most of all I love you in a flaming red sari, bangles, chains or failing that in a bikini!"

Days later the 1990 Trust was given £65,000 by City Hall.

Mr Jasper did not declare his relationship with Mrs Chouhan or any interest in either organisation.

Today both Mr Jasper, 49, a married father of nine, and Mrs Chouhan denied any impropriety. She said the emails were "banter" and that they had not been sexually involved.

But a separate document shows Mr Jasper recommended at least £100,000 be given to two organisations of which Mrs Chouhan was a board member. They are among 13 named by the Evening Standard as doing little or nothing of public benefit for their funding.

Click on the links below to read the original emails between Lee Jasper and Karen Chouhan

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