Apco

Apco is a US-based public affairs company that has recently become newsworthy due to its involvement in a controversy surrounding the Labour Together thinktank in the UK. A senior director at Apco, Tom Harper, authored a report in 2023 examining journalists who had written about undeclared donations to Labour Together. This report was commissioned by Josh Simons, then director of Labour Together. The commissioning of this report has led to an investigation into Simons, who has since resigned as a minister, regarding potential breaches of ministerial standards and the alleged smearing of journalists. The incident has prompted Labour Together to distance itself from Simons' actions and declare a 'clean break'. Apco's role in investigating journalists raises concerns about the use of lobbying firms to target and potentially intimidate members of the press, highlighting the intersection of politics, public relations, and media scrutiny.