Original reporting and commentary about polygraphs, voice stress analyzers, and other purported "lie detectors."
CNN senior writer Zachary B. Wolf comments on the Trump administration’s use of polygraphs to go after federal employees who speak with journalists. His well-researched article, “The Trump administration revives an old intimidation tactic: the polygraph machine,” was published on 5 June 2025. Excerpt: When President Ronald Reagan’s White House threatened thousands of government officials …
In an article titled “Unease at F.B.I. Intensifies as Patel Ousts Top Officials,” New York Times national security reporter Adam Goldman notes the increased use of polygraphs under FBI Director Kash Patel’s leadership to discourage employees from speaking with journalists. Excerpt: The F.B.I.’s increasingly pervasive use of the polygraph, or a lie-detector test, has only …
Marisa Taylor, Ted Hesson, Alexandra Alper, and Helen Coster report for Reuters in an article titled, “Trump officials are using polygraph tests to flush out even minor leaks.” Their reporting is based on “conversations with nine current and former federal government employees under the current administration who described a concerted effort to expose leaks of …
The Department of Defense has announced that Capital Center for Credibility Assessment Corporation, a private company run by retired federal polygraphers Patrick J. Roche, Donnie Dutton, and Donald Krapohl, has been awarded a $41,868,715 five-year contract to provide polygraph services for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The DoD announcement, dated 19 May 2025, is reproduced …
Last month, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem boasted to broadcaster Tim Pool, “We’re polygraphing everybody!” This month, in an article titled “Inside Kristi Noem’s Polygraph Operation,” Michelle Hackman and Tarini Parti report for the Wall Street Journal that Noem’s polygraph interrogations often concern the leak of information that is not classified. Excerpt: WASHINGTON—In …
Hugo Lowell reports for the Guardian in a 9 May 2025 article titled, “White House to take choice of Pentagon chief of staff out of Hegseth’s hands” that the White House Office of Presidential Personnel has forbidden Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth from making Ricky Buria, whom Hegseth designated in April 2025 as a “Senior …
ClearanceJobs.com director of content Lindy Kyzer and former security clearance attorney Sean Bigley discussed the similarities between the U.S. government’s polygraph screening practices and the Church of Scientology’s practice of E-meter auditing for the ClearedCast podcast. See Kyzer’s write-up here, where you will also find a link to the entire 13:37 long conversation.
Veteran journalist Jeff Stein comments on the Trump Administration’s efforts to identify employees who are speaking with journalists without authorization in a paywalled Substack post titled, “Trump & Co’s Polygraph Pandemonium.” Excerpt: Decades ago, a wise and long serving Justice Department inspector general remarked to me that leak investigations were “a fool’s errand.” By that …
Podcaster Jack Hopkins has published on Substack a thoughtful and well-researched essay on polygraph screening titled, “Kash Patel’s Deception: Stop Believing Polygraphs-Science Unmasks the Real Lies.” Excerpt: Hypocrisy isn’t partisan. It’s universal. It’s a human being thing, not political. Wherever you find human beings…you’ll find examples of hypocrisy. And you know what else is universal? The bullshit in …
Ellen Nakashima and Hannah Natanson report for the Washington Post in an article titled, “FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for ‘leak’ hunts.” Excerpt: National security agencies across the Trump administration are ramping up investigations into alleged leaks to the news media, in some cases using polygraph tests that current and former officials say are …