Technically, if not done in a public forum, its a conspiracy (two or more parties working together not in the open). In a republic, we tend to look down on tho

Technically, if not done in a public forum, its a conspiracy (two or more parties working together not in the open). In a republic, we tend to look down on those kinds of things when at least one of the parties is a government agency, or an agent of an agency. Conspiracies don't have to result in falsehoods being spread.