black bag job

1. A warrantless, illegal entry and search of a premises by the FBI in order to gather information. This practice was discontinued in 1967 and found to be unconstitutional shortly thereafter.

2. A similar entry and search conducted by an agent of the US federal government.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

References in periodicals archive

Far from "lionizing" Felt, our article pointedly noted that his "actions were of dubious legality," that his 'judgment was imperfect [and] his motives were mixed." And the observation that Felt took "full legal responsibility referred to his admission of being involved in "black bag operations" targeting domestic terrorists, rather than his conduct as "Deep Throat."

Felt, Nixon, Vietnam. (LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)

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