National security lawyer, Department of Justice whistleblower, and Salon contributing writer Jesselyn Radack (@JesselynRadack on X) has published a scathing critique of Department of Defense efforts to clamp down on unfavorable media coverage, including the use of polygraphs as a tool of intimidation, in an article titled “Pete Hegseth’s Polygraph Theater.” Excerpt: Secretary of Defense … Read more
The Pentagon is seeking funding for a new and improved polygraph that it alternatively calls “Polygraph+,” “Polygraph Next,” or “Next Gen Polygraph.” The five-year plan calls for spending $30,342,000. No end cost is stated, however, with the total cost simply described as “Continuing.” In 2003, the National Research Council published a landmark report on the … Read more
Jonathan Swan, Adam Entous, Maggie Habernman, and Eric Schmitt report for the New York Times in a 4 September 2026 article titled “In Major Leak Hunt, Pentagon Gives Polygraph Tests to Joint Staff Members.” Excerpt: U.S. government investigators have taken the extraordinary step of subjecting roughly 50 members of the U.S. military’s Joint Staff to … Read more
Alex Horton, Tara Copp, and Ellen Nakashima report for the Washington Post in a 1 October 2025 article titled, “Pentagon plans widespread random polygraphs, NDAs to stanch leaks.” Excerpt: The Pentagon plans to impose strict nondisclosure agreements andrandom polygraph testing for scores of people in its headquarters, including many top officials, according to two people … Read more
The White House has reportedly directed the Department of Defense to stop polygraphing for leakers after Patrick Reed Weaver, a senior advisor to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, raised concerns. Dan Lamothe and Ellen Nakashima report for the Washington Post in an article titled, “Hegseth team told to stop polygraph tests after complaint to White … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
Nancy A. Youssef, Alexander Ward, and Vera Bergengruen report for the Wall Street Journal in a 24 April 2025 article titled, “Polygraph Threats, Leaks and Infighting: The Chaos Inside Hegseth’s Pentagon.” Excerpt: WASHINGTON—Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was rattled. Word had leaked that he was planning a classified briefing for Elon Musk on China, a revelation … Read more
Michael Evans of the London Times reports in a paywalled article titled “Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon descends into fear, loathing and lie detectors.” Excerpt: Pentagon officials are living “in fear” of being forced to take polygraph tests to prove they are not leaking sensitive information to the media. An email warning of the potential use of … Read more
Following a Thursday, 20 March 2025 report by the New York Times that “[t]he Pentagon was scheduled on Friday to brief Elon Musk on the U.S. military’s plan for any war that might break out with China,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joseph R. “Joe” Kasper on Friday, 21 March signed a … Read more