Legal Definitions - cabal

A cabal refers to a small, often secretive group of individuals who work together to achieve a particular goal, typically through plotting, intrigue, or conspiracy. These groups often operate outside official channels and may seek to gain influence, power, or control, sometimes for self-serving or illicit purposes.

• Example 1: Within a large technology company, a small group of senior engineers formed a cabal, secretly collaborating to discredit a new project manager and push for their preferred candidate to take over the role. They met privately, exchanged emails outside official channels, and subtly undermined the project manager's decisions in team meetings.

  Explanation: This illustrates a cabal because it involves a small, secretive group of individuals (the senior engineers) who are plotting (discrediting the manager, pushing their candidate) to achieve a specific goal (gaining influence over the project management) through non-transparent means.

• Example 2: During a contentious city council election, a small cabal of wealthy donors and local business owners met in private to strategize how to fund negative advertising campaigns against a progressive candidate they opposed, without their involvement being publicly known.

  Explanation: Here, the term applies to the small, undisclosed group of donors and business owners who are conspiring (strategizing negative campaigns) to influence a political outcome (the election) through covert actions, fitting the definition of a cabal.

• Example 3: At a prestigious art gallery, a small cabal of long-serving curators quietly worked to block the acquisition of contemporary art pieces favored by the new director, preferring to maintain the gallery's traditional focus and preserve their own influence over its collection policy.

  Explanation: This scenario describes a cabal as a small, established group (the curators) who are secretly resisting change and plotting (blocking acquisitions) to maintain their power and control over the gallery's direction, often through subtle, behind-the-scenes maneuvers.