[Alupis]

The CIA's charter forbids any domestic campaigns...

[pessimizer]

But defines "domestic" as something that never touches the internet, and never once does business with or makes a phone call to a foreign national.

[joe_the_user]

When a society codifies secrecy into the law, that society has opened the door to every kind of unraveling of the rule of law.

We have gone from classified information to secret laws to who knows-what-all-else.

Among many other possibilities, the CIA's character might have been secretly changed - with it's agents authorized to lie about this change. Such is the can of worms that "classified information" opens from the get-go.

[dghf]

"Oh, that's just the window-display charter. Our real, secret charter gives us unlimited power forever!"

-- Boss to Agent Norbert in The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.

(Okay, that was the Federal Atomic Regulatory Taskforce rather than the CIA, but the principle holds.)

[ajmurmann]

They didn't mind when they drugged up people in SF as part of MKUltra.

[sp332]

Right, the FBI doesn't like the competition.

[CamperBob2]

They have altered the charter. Don't even bother praying.

[mikeash]

And clearly that's working out just great.

[sobkas]

It's only forbidden if you get caught.