(CNN) Trump ally Erik Prince has recruited former US and British spies to help a conservative group target Democratic campaigns and labor organizations, among others, seen as averse to President Donald Trump, according to a New York Times report.

Based on interviews and documents, the Times reported that one of Prince's recruits is a former officer of Britain's foreign intelligence agency MI6.

The former MI6 officer, Richard Seddon, oversaw a 2017 undercover operation to copy documents and tape conversations in a Michigan chapter of the teacher's union, American Federation of Teachers, according to the Times.

Documents obtained by the Times showed that Seddon directed an undercover operative to secretly record AFT Michigan's local leaders and gather potentially damaging information on the union, the newspaper reported.

The Times reported that the operation was carried out by Project Veritas, a conservative organization led by self-described "guerrilla journalist" James O'Keefe that uses controversial tactics of hidden cameras and secret recordings. CNN and other media organizations have been targeted by Project Veritas' sting operations.

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