Word for a group of "like-minded" people
Solution 1:
The word you may be thinking of is conformity, a term in psychology.
Conformity is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms... [and] may result from subtle unconscious influences, or direct and overt social pressure.
So you can say this:
Employees of the CIA are conformists...
Other related words and phrases:
Groupthink Coined in 1972 and now in mainstream usage, it's a phrase used in psychology describing the tendency of a group to reach a uniform way of thinking or behaving. As the reference states, people in the group who oppose the consensus normally remain quiet, and therefore, there may be now counterbalancing opinion to sway the groups behavior.
The wikipedia article on the subject states:
the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision-making outcome.
I would modify your example a bit, like this, maybe:
Employees of the CIA practice groupthink...
The wikipedia articles point to other related terms, and going into their details becomes general reference and can be researched directly:
spiral of silence
collective behavior
conspiracy of silence
bandwagon effect
code of silence
...
Solution 2:
Coming after the words Employees of the CIA are, is one or more of the following an apt fit? I've limited myself to the hard C sound, since that seems to be the sound which you find on the tip of your tongue!
collaborators
working collaboratively
a coterie
a cabal
cohorts
a contingent
compatriots
a clan
I'll let you know if I come up with some more.
Solution 3:
Though more often used in social contexts than spy groups, you may be thinking of clique. it starts with a "c" and has a negative connotation.
clique: A small, exclusive group of individuals; cabal
cabal and coterie are both listed as synonyms. You could also use circle.
Though if you're focusing more on the shared-philosophy aspect than the distinct-group aspect, there's
camp: A group of people with the same strong ideals or political leanings.
comrades, or even cult.
Solution 4:
The word you might be looking for (if it does begin with "c") is "concordant". Or possibly "concurring". But as a practical choice, I'd say "in accord".
Solution 5:
Cut from the same cloth it means like minded, and similar in nature.
Consistent also works here.
But, I don't think of either as a pejorative (like you had wanted).
You might substitute Hawkish in that one instance, though. Meaning supportive of warlike foreign policy.
Also Coterie or Clique