DOE Polygraph Program Chief David M. Renzelman speaking at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 14 September 1999
Department of Energy polygraph program chief David M. Renzelman delivered a presentation at the
f irst public meeting of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Study to Review the Scientific Evidence on the Polygraph on 26 January 2001. In the course of his remarks, he referred disapprovingly to AntiPolygraph.org and to material "on the Internet" (which seems also to be a reference to AntiPolygraph.org). Mr. Renzelman's public criticism of AntiPolygraph.org merits a public response.
Mr. Renzelman stated:
Quote:David Renzelman: ...I'm just ecstatic to be able to talk to you folks about this affair [?] 'cause all you can see on the Internet is adverse information. I would think polygraph is the worst thing in the world if I believed the things that you find at AntiPolygraph.org.
Unidentified male speaker: I haven't been there.
David Renzelman: Oh, you owe it to yourself! I mean...
[laughter]
David Renzelman: ...I'm being careful. Umm.. and the good general [National Nuclear Security Administration chief Gen. John A. Gordon, ret.] talked about emotion. I'm... unemotional at this point.
[laughter]
David Renzelman: I urge you to contact the American Polygraph Association while you're here. We have members of the board seated at this table. I served as a subcommittee chairman for quality control for that organization for a long time. I served as the director of quality control for the American Association of Police Polygraph Examiners -- "Polygraphists" they call it -- I just don't like that word -- for a long time, and on the board of directors as well, as a regional director. They can tell you their perspective, but we don't have the funds and the resources to go out and... and... and banter with the people who don't like polygraph.
Without making any specific criticism, Mr. Renzelman suggests that the information provided on AntiPolygraph.org is not to be believed, and that the American Polygraph Association (
APA) and the American Association of Police Polygraphists (
AAPP) lack the funds to "banter" with us.
Mr. Renzelman, it won't cost you, the APA, or the AAPP one red cent to post any criticism you have regarding information presented on AntiPolygraph.org right here on our message board. And by posting to this forum, you'll be sure to reach precisely those people who visit this site. We welcome your criticism. Don't be shy.
Regarding security clearance determinations, Mr. Renzelman stated:
Quote:You got all sorts of things that are used in addition to polygraph to make the decision, but if you read the literature on the Internet, it's the polygraph that will say yes or no, and that is so untrue. It's not fair to even be put on the Internet....
What literature were you referring to, Mr. Renzelman? I am aware of no literature on AntiPolygraph.org which states that the polygraph is the sole factor in DOE security clearance determinations.
Regarding research at the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (
DoDPI), Mr. Renzelman told members of the polygraph study committee:
Quote:I urge you to spend not a day, not a half-a-day, spend a week down there [at DoDPI] and really learn -- now I know that they only got eight hundred grand to do this with -- spend some time and see how it really is done, not what the Internet thing says.
What did you mean by "the Internet thing," Mr. Renzelman? If you were referring to AntiPolygraph.org, let us know what information we provide about research at DoDPI that is untrue, and we will correct it.
(This message is continued in the following post to this message thread)