The News Agents Why was a Labour campaign group spying on journalists?
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Feb 16, 2026 Allegations that a campaign think tank investigated journalists and may have used corporate PR firms to dig into reporters' backgrounds. Questions around who authorised the probe and why details are surfacing now. Scrutiny of DOJ handling of Epstein-related files, heavy redactions and withheld records. A curious photo-op involving Liz Truss and Donald Trump rounds out the discussion.
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Campaign Group Commissioned Journalist Probe
- Labour Together commissioned APCO to probe whether a Sunday Times story was Russian interference rather than flawed fundraising reporting.
- The probe instead scrutinised journalists' backgrounds and motivations, risking intimidation of the press.
Investigation Crossed Into Personal Attacks
- The APCO work went beyond source verification into personal digs on Gabriel Pogrund and other reporters.
- Emily Maitlis warns this approaches Nixonian tactics that threaten a free press.
Conflict Of Interest In Inquiry Leadership
- Josh Simons commissioned the probe and is now a Cabinet Office minister, creating an awkward self-investigation dynamic.
- That raises questions about timing, transparency and who benefits from the revelations now.