British media uncovered over the weekend new files, emails and documents that implicate Qatar in conspiring and running sabotage campaigns against rival bidders seeking to host the 2022 World Cup. The Sunday Times said that Doha ran secret “black operations” against bidders to undermine their campaigns in clear violation of FIFA rules. According to the documents, obtained from a whistleblower, Qatar paid major public relations companies and former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents to wage a smear campaign against main bidders Australia and the United States. The campaign involved recruiting influential people to attack the bids in their own countries, seeking to create the impression that there was “zero support” for the World Cup domestically, said the Times. FIFA bars World Cup bidders from making "any written or oral statements of any kind, whether adverse or otherwise, about the bids or candidatures of any other member association". One of the leaked emails revealed that Qatar was aware of the smear campaign against its rivals. The Times charged that Qatar went so far as to devise a plan for the US Congress to adopt legislation over the negative impact of the United States’ hosting of the football tournament. An American professor was even paid $9,000 to write a report on the financial burden the World Cup will have on the country. The report – which did not declare the payment – concluded that “US taxpayers are better off saying no to an expensive and secretive World Cup bid.” The Times said that Qatar resorted to hiring of an array of personalities to undermine the benefits of hosting the 2022 World Cup, including physical education teachers, the head of the Federation of Sports Economists who was tasked with writing a “major study on how the US World Cup lost money.” In a statement Qatars Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said it "rejects each and every allegation put forward by the Sunday Times". "We have been thoroughly investigated and have been forthcoming with all information related to our bid, including the official investigation led by US attorney Michael Garcia," it said. The whistleblower has also given evidence to a senior British politician. “The ultimate sanction for breaking the rules would be the loss of the right to host the tournament,” said Damian Collins, the chairman of the digital, culture, media and sport parliamentary committee with a call to FIFA to launch a new investigation. Germany was one of the fiercest advocates of withdrawing Qatar’s right to organize the World Cup in wake of the corruption allegations that rocked FIFA five years ago. Doha had been previously accused of bribing members of the football world governing body and many have admitted to receiving these funds. Qatar controversially won the right to host the World Cup in December 2010. The victory has long been plagued with corruption allegations and the Gulf country has been frequently condemned for the poor conditions of laborers, who are constructing the tournament’s stadiums.