Reuters correspondent James Vicini reports. Excerpt:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – As many as seven FBI employees with access to highly classified information face more investigation after taking polygraph tests given to tighten security following the discovery of a Russian spy within the FBI, officials said on Wednesday.
“We have identified up to 700 persons who were responsible for looking at highly classified information and have run a polygraph program that I believe has been successful in that we have some assurance on all but one percent, and the others we are looking at,” FBI Director Robert Mueller told reporters.
“We are heartened that less than 1 percent of the 700 raised issues that require further investigation,” he said, days before the release of a special commission’s report on how to improve security after the Robert Hanssen spy case.
Mueller acknowledged that security had not been a “principal priority” at the FBI, but added, “We’ve moved to address that.”
One of the steps adopted after the Hanssen spy case, which badly damaged the FBI’s reputation, has been expanded use of polygraph tests for current FBI employees.
Hanssen, a 25-year FBI agent and counter-intelligence expert, pleaded guilty to spying for Moscow and is awaiting sentencing next month. His lawyer has said Hanssen began spying in 1979, just three years after he became a special agent.
FBI Assistant Director Kenneth Senser said polygraph tests have been given to about 700 employees since July. The “overwhelming majority” successfully completed the test.
Senser, a career CIA official now in charge of the FBI’s security division, said the 1 percent, whose responses during the test triggered concern, still were being “worked with.”
THOUSANDS MAY FACE POLYGRAPH TEST
Senser said the next step under consideration would be a “limited expansion” of the polygraph tests, adding a “few thousand” to those who must be tested.