Minister used PR firm to investigate journalists' sources
Summary
A UK government minister hired a PR firm to investigate how journalists learned about a think tank's funding. The minister, Josh Simons, denied trying to probe journalists and said the focus was on a suspected illegal hack. This investigation was related to how Labour Together handled reports of undisclosed donations.Key Facts
- A UK government minister, Josh Simons, employed a PR firm before he became a Member of Parliament.
- The firm, APCO Worldwide, was hired to investigate how journalists found out about Labour Together's funding.
- Labour Together is a think tank that did not report over £700,000 in donations from 2017 to 2020.
- The Electoral Commission fined Labour Together £14,250 in 2021 for late reporting of donations.
- Simons stated he wanted to investigate a suspected illegal hack, not journalists.
- APCO planned to use different methods, like digital forensics, to find out more.
- A leaked contract showed the intent to create narratives to counter future negative reports about Labour Together.
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