The CIA has engaged in several controversial and illegal activities on American soil, often in violation of its charter prohibiting domestic operations. Here are summaries of three notable examples, along with their repercussions.
From 1967 to 1974, the CIA ran Operation CHAOS, illegally surveilling over 7,000 U.S. citizens involved in anti-war and dissident movements, compiling dossiers without judicial oversight. This breached the National Security Act of 1947, which barred domestic spying.aclu
Project MKUltra (1953-1973) involved the CIA dosing unwitting Americans with LSD and other drugs in mind-control tests, causing deaths like that of Frank Olson. Conducted at universities and hospitals on U.S. soil, it violated laws against non-consensual human experimentation.wikipedia
In the 1960s, the CIA conducted widespread illegal wiretapping of Americans, including journalists and activists, far exceeding its foreign intelligence mandate. This included physical break-ins and mail-opening programs like HTLINGUAL.wikipedia
These operations were exposed by the 1975 Church Committee, leading to President Ford's Executive Order 11905 banning assassinations and reforms like FISA in 1978 for oversight. No CIA personnel faced criminal charges, though Director Richard Helms was convicted of misleading Congress (later pardoned). The agency issued apologies but minimal compensation to victims.wikipedia+2