Author archives

2,000+ Polygraphs Likely at Los Alamos

Jennifer McKee of the Albuquerque Tribune writes in part: More than 2,000 Los Alamos National Laboratory employees may have to take lie-detector tests as part of an anti-spying program included in the Defense Authorization Bill signed into law this week. The program, which expands polygraph tests to as many 20,000 employees throughout the Department of …

President Clinton Criticizes Expanded Department of Energy Polygraph Screening

In his statement regarding his signing of H.R. 4205, the “Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001,” Mr. Clinton writes: …I am deeply disappointed that the Congress has taken upon itself to set greatly increased polygraph requirements that are unrealistic in scope, impractical in execution, and that would be strongly counterproductive …

“Energy Department Polygraph Program Expanded”

Walter Pincus of the Washington Post reports: Rejecting pleas from Energy Department officials, Congress has approved a provision that will require polygraphs for 5,000 additional employees of the department’s nuclear weapons complex, raising to near 20,000 the overall number that will be tested. The new language, part of the fiscal 2001 defense authorization bill that …

Polygraphy and Alleged Ethnic Profiling by FBI, CIA, and DoD Counterintelligence Officials

In an article entitled “Government Facing Charges of Racism,” San Jose Mercury News correspondent Lenny Savino reports on five cases of alleged ethnic profiling by FBI, CIA, and DoD counterintelligence officials. Polygraphy figures prominently in four out of five of the cases discussed. For more on the case of David Tenenbaum, which features prominently in …

“Polygraph Hell at the National Laboratories”

Steven Aftergood reports in today’s edition of the electronic newsletter Secrecy News: POLYGRAPH HELL AT THE NATIONAL LABORATORIES In its mad pursuit of a misconceived ideal of “security,” Congress has quietly imposed broad new polygraph testing requirements on Energy Department employees and contractors. Subtle changes adopted in the conference on the defense authorization bill will …

Bill Would Limit Secretary of Energy’s Discretion to Grant Polygraph Waivers

Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists’ Project on Government Secrecy reports in today’s edition of the electronic newsletter Secrecy News that House-Senate conferees have approved legislation that severely limits the Secretary of Energy’s authority to grant polygraph waivers. The following is an excerpt (emphasis added): DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL BOOSTS SECRECY The House-Senate conference …

DoDPI Director Michael H. Capps Allegedly Misappropriated Government-Earned Frequent Flyer Miles

Michael H. Capps Edward T. Pound of USA Today writes that the Department of Defense Inspector General has concluded that Department of Defense Polygraph Institute director Michael H. Capps misappropriated $4,100 worth of government-earned frequent-flier miles and misled investigators when questioned about the matter. Mr. Pound’s article leaves unanswered the question, “Did the disgraced director …