Nah, they knew they were criminals.  Criminals who were illegally enriching themselves with corrupt kickbacks from foreign aid and shady backroom deals with our enemies.  In the process getting patriots killed and weakening the country. They were illegally using the (already unconstitutional) surveillance state (not to mention IRS) as a weapon against their political enemies and to stay in power in order to avoid scrutiny or getting caught. They convinced others (mainly who Stalin would call "useful idiot" emotionally-driven leftists) that they were on an enlightened path, but they, themselves, absolutely  knew they were criminals.