▁would ▁bring ▁this ▁to ▁light , ▁a ▁project ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁C IA ▁would ▁partner ▁with ▁the ▁F BI . ▁When ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁he ▁instruct ed ▁Hel ms ▁to ▁investigate , ▁Hel ms ▁remarked ▁that ▁such ▁activity ▁would ▁involve ▁some ▁risk , ▁as ▁his ▁ag ency ▁generally ▁was ▁not ▁permitted ▁to ▁conduct ▁such ▁surve ill ance ▁activity ▁within ▁the ▁national ▁borders . ▁In ▁reply ▁to ▁Hel ms ▁Johnson ▁said , ▁" I ' m ▁quite ▁aware ▁of ▁that ." ▁The ▁President ▁then ▁explained ▁that ▁the ▁main ▁focus ▁was ▁to ▁remain ▁foreign . ▁Hel ms ▁understood ▁the ▁reasons ▁for ▁the ▁president ' s ▁orders , ▁and ▁the ▁assumed ▁foreign ▁connection . ▁Later ▁apparently , ▁both ▁the ▁Rock ef eller ▁Commission ▁and ▁the ▁Church ▁Committee ▁found ▁the ▁initial ▁investigation ▁to ▁be ▁within ▁the ▁C IA ' s ▁legisl ative ▁char ter , ▁although ▁at ▁the ▁margin . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁pr ere quis ite ▁to ▁its ▁conduct ▁of ▁the ▁foreign ▁esp ion age , ▁the ▁C IA ▁was ▁first ▁to ▁secret ly ▁develop ▁leads ▁and ▁contacts ▁within ▁the ▁domestic ▁anti - war ▁movement . ▁In ▁the ▁process ▁its ▁in fil tr ating ▁agents ▁would ▁ac quire ▁anti - war ▁b ona ▁f ides ▁that ▁would ▁provide ▁them ▁some ▁amount ▁of ▁cover ▁when ▁over se as . ▁On ▁that ▁r ationale , ▁the ▁C IA ▁comm enced ▁activity , ▁which ▁continued ▁for ▁almost ▁seven ▁years . ▁Hel ms ▁kept ▁the ▁operation ▁hidden , ▁from ▁nearly ▁all ▁ag ency ▁personnel , ▁in ▁Ang