The BBC has not seen APCO Worldwide’s report in full but sources familiar with its contents have confirmed the details, which were reported by the Sunday Times.
Sources told the BBC the US public affairs firm’s report included information about journalist Gabriel Pogrund’s Jewish beliefs and claims about his ideological position.
It also claimed, the sources said, that Pogrund’s previous reporting, including on the royal family, “could be seen as destabilising to the UK and also in the interests of Russia’s strategic foreign policy objectives”.
In a contract addressed to Simons, seen by BBC News, APCO Worldwide agreed to investigate “the sourcing, funding and origins” of the Sunday Times reporting, as well as the journalist, Paul Holden and Matt Taibbi, an American reporter.
Responding to an urgent question over the issue in Parliament, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said the Cabinet Office investigation had “established the facts” around the allegations and reported them to Sir Keir, who had now referred the issue to his independent adviser on ministerial standards.
“The government is committed to protecting freedom of the press and no journalist should ever be intimidated for trying to hold those in power to account,” he told MPs.
Simons has previously said he had asked APCO Worldwide to look into “a suspected illegal hack” and claims he wanted to investigate journalists were “nonsense”.