The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed on Monday that the agency is using polygraph tests, also known as “lie detector” tests, to identify the source of alleged leaks from multiple national security agencies under President Donald Trump’s administration.
In a statement to Reuters on Monday, the FBI’s public affairs office said, “We can confirm the FBI has begun administering polygraph tests to identify the source of information leaks within the bureau.”
The FBI’s Monday statement to Reuters came as an anonymous FBI spokesperson told The Washington Post that FBI Director Kash Patel had directed the agency to start administering polygraph tests to identify the source of the recent information leaks.
The anonymous FBI spokesperson told The Washington Post, “The seriousness of the specific leaks in question precipitated the polygraphs, as they involved potential damage to security protocols at the bureau.”
READ MORE: SECDEF Hegseth threatened to ‘polygraph’ top military officials: Report
“People are trying to keep their heads down,” a former FBI field office head told The Washington Post. “Morale’s in the toilet.”
The FBI’s confirmation that it is using polygraphs to identify the source of the recent leaks comes after a report that claimed Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to “polygraph” two top U.S. military officials in light of the information leaking issue. The Wall Street Journal reported that Hegseth threatened to polygraph Adm. Christopher Grady, who served as acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Doug Sims.
One anonymous U.S. official with top-secret clearance described the current situation with the Pentagon and the FBI as a “toxic environment.”
“First, you’ve got the insecurity of not knowing whether you’re going to get fired or not,” the U.S. official said. “Then there’s the witch hunt to find the whistleblowers who are exposing the ineptitude and bad management of agencies. They’re trying to silence those who do not follow the party line.”
Last week, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that she had referred “two intelligence community leakers” to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution after intelligence community members allegedly leaked classified information to the news media.
“Politicization of our intelligence and leaking classified information puts our nation’s security at risk and must end,” Gabbard said. “Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
