Qatar World Cup organizers have denied allegations they ran a “black operations” campaign in their successful effort to secure the 2022 tournament.

The allegations were made by British newspaper The Sunday Times who gained leaked emails from a whistle-blower who had worked with the bid team on its World Cup campaign.

The emails stated the Qatari bid team hired former CIA agents and a public relations firm tasked with “pumping out fake propaganda about its main rivals, the United States and Australia,”

According to the emails influential people were recruited to attack the bids in their own countries. One of the emails, dated May 2010, was sent from communications company Brown Lloyd James (BLJ) to a senior advisor on the Qatar bid team, giving a report on a covert operation to undermine the candidacies of competitor countries.

The Qatari Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which oversees the planning and infrastructure of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, told CNN in a statement on Sunday that 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 [American] attorney Michael Garcia,” the statement said, apparently in reference to a 2014 FIFA inquiry into allegations of bidding corruption.

“We have strictly adhered to all FIFA’s rules and regulations for the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding process,” it added.