Original reporting and commentary about polygraphs, voice stress analyzers, and other purported "lie detectors."
Associated Press writer Jesse J. Holland reports in an article published in the Washington Post under the title, “Senators Call for FBI Oversight Legislation.” Excerpt: WASHINGTON – Two senators called for sweeping changes in the FBI Thursday, including mandated lie detector tests of people working with sensitive information, letting Justice Department investigators independently look at …
In an article titled “Officials look for link in anthrax samples from labs,” the Associated Press reports that the FBI has used polygraph interrogations in its investigation of last year’s anthrax letter attacks. Excerpt: The FBI believes the anthrax letters were the work of a single scientist, and some of the scientists fit aspects of …
Chicago Tribune national correspondent Evan Osnos reports on the pre-trial testimony of Osama Awadallah, who faces federal perjury charges. Excerpt: Awadallah, a permanent U.S. resident whose trial is set to begin May 20, testified that the government’s intimidation began with his earliest conversations with the FBI on Sept. 20, when, he said, 15 to 20 …
William R. Gorta reports for the New York Post. Excerpt: February 19, 2002 — A Jordanian charged with lying to a grand jury recited to a federal judge a list of alleged law-enforcement abuses at his pre-trial evidence-suppression hearing yesterday. Osama Awadallah, 21, said he was physically abused by jail guards, denied access to a …
Associated Press correspondent Larry Neumeister reports on Osama Awadallah’s courtroom testimony. Excerpt: NEW YORK (AP) – A Jordanian student testified Monday that FBI agents accused him of being one of the Sept. 11 terrorists after saying he failed a lie detector test. Osama Awadallah, 21, said agents told him he would be freed but after …
Associated Press correspondent Frank Eltman reports on the case of Osama Awadallah, who faces perjury charges stemming at least in part from an FBI polygraph interrogation. Excerpt: NEW YORK (AP) – An FBI agent testified Saturday that a Jordanian student with alleged links to two of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers was deceptive during a …
In an article titled, “FBI Flooded With Applicants,” Los Angeles Times staff writer William Overend reports that about 20% of special agent applicants who make it as far as the polygraph fail it. Excerpt: Mike Hilliard, who retired three years ago after 21 years as the chief recruiting agent in Los Angeles, estimated that about …
In a Dallas Morning News article titled “Narcotics unit has troubled past,” Robert Tharp reports on a massive but fruitless polygraph dragnet conducted by the FBI in the Dallas Police Department’s narcotics unit in 1996. Excerpt: The FBI investigated the narcotics division in 1996 at the request of former Chief Ben Click following the disappearance …
Manny Garcia, Peter Wallsten, and Amy Driscoll of the Miami Herald report of reliance on polygraphy in determining the credibiliy of statements made by an informant. Excerpt: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI are investigating a possible plot to kill Gov. Jeb Bush with a truck bomb in Tallahassee, law enforcement officials …
Dennis Wagner of the Arizona Republic reports on the case of Faisal Michael Al Salmi. Excerpt: Faisal Michael Al Salmi, an Arizona man who was indicted as part of the federal anti-terrorism campaign, failed an FBI lie-detector examination when asked if he played a role in the Sept. 11 attacks, according to court records. However, …