Original reporting and commentary about polygraphs, voice stress analyzers, and other purported "lie detectors."
The Lafayette Instrument Company of Lafayette, Indiana, the U.S. government’s main supplier of polygraph instruments, has acquired Canadian polygraph manufacturer Limestone Technologies of Kingston, Ontario. Lafayette announced the acquisition in a 22 August 2022 post on its website: Lafayette Instrument Co. is pleased to announce its acquisition of Limestone Technologies on August 12, 2022. Both …
Marisa Taylor reports for McClatchy on the high failure rate of the FBI’s pre-employment polygraph screening program using, among other sources, a 198-page document containing complaints of discrimination associated with the Bureau’s polygraph program. Excerpt: WASHINGTON — Thousands of job applicants come to FBI offices all across the country every year, eager to work for …
Marisa Taylor reports for McClatchy on the close ties between some public employees with influence over polygraph purchases and polygraph manufacturers. Excerpt: WASHINGTON — When polygrapher Walt Goodson began moonlighting for a private company, he didn’t think the law enforcement agency he worked for would care. After all, his supervisor at the Texas Department of …
Marisa Taylor reports for McClatchy on a flaw affecting the Lafayette Instrument Company’s LX4000 polygraph system, which is widely used by federal, state, and local government agencies. Excerpt: WASHINGTON — Police departments and federal agencies across the country are using a type of polygraph despite evidence of a technical problem that could label truthful people …