In an article titled “Committee expands LAPD recruitment efforts,” MSNBC.com affiliate NBC4.TV reports on the LAPD’s polygraph woes. Excerpt: LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24 – The City Council’s Public Safety Committee recommended today that the city fund expanded officer recruitment efforts by the Los Angeles Police Department. The panel unanimously forwarded to the full council Deputy … Read more
In an article entitled “FBI agents urge more scrutiny for Condit,” Washington Times staff writer Jerry Seper reports that members of the FBI Agents Association have pointed out to the Senate and House intelligence committees the hypocrisy of requiring FBI employees to submit to polygraph interrogations while Congress exempts itself from this requirement. Excerpt: FBI … Read more
Roger Snodgrass of the Los Alamos Monitor reports. Excerpt: New Mexico’s senators teamed up on Monday to strike another blow to a controversial polygraph testing program in the nation’s weapons laboratories. Senate Bill 1261 [sic, correct 1276], cosponsored by Sen. Pete Domenici, R-NM, and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, would narrow the focus of Department of … Read more
Steven Aftergood of the American Federation of Scientists’ Secrecy in Government Project writes in today’s edition of Secrecy News: NEW BILL WOULD LIMIT DOE POLYGRAPHS A bill introduced in the Senate yesterday by Sen. Pete Domenici and Sen. Jeff Bingaman would reduce the number of Department of Energy (DOE) employees and contractors who are subject … Read more
Maria Cranor reports for the Albuquerque Tribune. Excerpt: U.S. Sens. Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman have introduced legislation to reform current Department of Energy polygraphing practices at the agency’s national laboratories. Domenici was a vocal opponent of Congress’ decision to expand polygraph testing in the DOE’s nuclear weapons labs last year. The expanded program, introduced … Read more
At the first day of his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, FBI Director designate Robert S. Mueller III voiced his support for continued polygraph screening of senior FBI officials: Sen. Hatch: …We understand that the FBI is now requiring polygraphs for managers handling national security matters. Are you willing to … Read more
Lenny Savino of the Knight Ridder Washington bureau reports. Excerpt: WASHINGTON – “Less than 25” top FBI officials and other personnel in sensitive positions failed to pass polygraph exams initiated in the wake of the Robert Hanssen spy case, according to senior bureau officials. Failure to pass could mean either that the findings were inconclusive … Read more
Martin Mull of the Edmond Sun reports in an article titled “Moore officer says she [sic] being truthful.” Excerpt: A Moore police officer said she does not understand how she could have failed a polygraph test about no prior drug use during an interview process in Edmond. That was the reason Etta Maytubby said she … Read more
Today’s Washington Post editorial, “Mr. Hanssen’s Plea” carries with it an implicit endorsement of polygraph screening. Excerpt (emphasis added): Fixing…vulnerabilities [in FBI security procedures] is the task ahead. No system can ensure perfect security. There will be smart and unscrupulous would-be spies at an organization the size of the bureau who find cracks to slip … Read more
In a Reuters article about the status of women in the CIA, Tabassum Zakaria touches upon CIA polygraph policy, including alleged bias against women, and notes that a woman heads the CIA polygraph unit. Excerpt: Lawyers who handle lawsuits by female spies say while steps have been taken toward equality, there is still some distance … Read more