Original reporting and commentary about polygraphs, voice stress analyzers, and other purported "lie detectors."
New York Times correspondent William J. Broad reports. Excerpt: The Energy Department said yesterday in a surprise announcement that it was sharply cutting the number of lie detector tests it would give to people with access to nuclear secrets, particularly at the nation’s weapons laboratories. The deputy energy secretary, Kyle E. McSlarrow, said at a …
Andrea Widener reports for the Contra Costa County Times. Excerpt: Last fall, a panel of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences found that polygraph tests are unproven, and perhaps even dangerous, as a tool to search for potential spies at the nation’s nuclear weapons labs. Its measures of heart rate, breathing and sweaty palms are …
Dr. Alan P. Zelicoff comments on polygraph screening in this Washington Post op-ed piece. Excerpt: In 1999, in the midst of alleged leaks of nuclear weapons information from his department’s national laboratories, the secretary of energy, Bill Richardson, set out to show that he could be “tough” on national security matters. He sought congressional funding …
Frank Munger reports for the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Excerpt: OAK RIDGE – It’s a real-life variation of the game truth or consequences. The Department of Energy figures the potential consequences of a security breach in the nuclear weapons program are so grave that extraordinary precautions must be taken. That includes truth testing for key employees. Despite …
Bob Park of the American Physical Society comments on Department of Energy polygraph policy in his weekly What’s New column: The National Academy of Sciences completed its review of scientific evidence on the polygraph (WN 15 Dec 00). The NAS report, “The Polygraph and Lie Detection” (NAS Press, 2003), found polygraph tests to be unacceptable …
The Albuquerque Tribune comments on the Energy Department’s decision to ignore the conclusions of the National Academy of Sciences regarding polygraph screening. Excerpt: It’s like the sequel to a goofy movie: “DOE – Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest.” Sometimes – even giving it the vast benefit of the doubt – the U.S. Department of Energy is infuriating …
Lisa Friedman of the Tri-Valley Herald Washington Bureau reports. Excerpt: WASHINGTON — Federal lawmakers and lab weapons scientists said Tuesday they are disappointed with Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham for disregarding an 18-month, $800,000 study by the nation’s top scientists that found polygraph testing does not work. “It shows how bankrupt they are,” said Livermore thermonuclear …
AntiPolygraph.org has learned that William “Bill” Cleveland, Jr., a retired FBI counterintelligence agent who has admitted to having had a longterm sexual relationship with FBI informant and suspected Chinese double agent Katrina M. Leung, passed a Department of Energy (DOE) counterintelligence-scope polygraph examination. The “Test for Espionage and Sabotage” polygraph format used by DOE includes …
John Fleck reports for the Albuquerque Journal. Excerpt: The Department of Energy wants to continue polygraphs to hunt for spies, bucking a report from federal science advisers who said the technique is flawed. In a notice published Monday, the department announced it wants to keep its polygraph program, which screens nuclear weapons workers in a …
Los Alamos Monitor assistant editor Roger Snodgrass reports. Excerpt: The Department of Energy has rejected the results of an $870,000 study by the National Research Council on the validity of polygraph tests for screening national security risks. DOE said that unless something unexpected arises from public comments, it will continue its current program as is. …