MCClatchy Polygraph Story

[Gravel]

Any news on the story about the polygraph story that MCClatchy's Marisa Taylor broke last month? Did Senator Coburn's office request a hearing about it? I remember he spoke about it during some kind of senate hearing.

[Doug Williams]

Any news on the story about the polygraph story that MCClatchy's Marisa Taylor broke last month? Did Senator Coburn's office request a hearing about it? I remember he spoke about it during some kind of senate hearing.

Sen. Coburn is my senator, and as soon as I saw that article about what he said, I sent him this:

http://www.polygraph.com/index.php?i-don-t-teach-countermeasures


I also pointed out that the feds waste over 150 million dollars annually on "lie detector" testing and since he has a reputation for fighting waste and fraud in the government that the polygraph program exemplifies that waste and fraud more than any other.  I also pointed out that 65% of all applicants are called liars so there is also a terrible waste of human resources.  I reminded him that the American Medical Association has always maintained that the polygraph was not reliable as a "lie detector"
and that he as a trained physician knows that the "fight or flight response" is not indicative of deception, that the polygraph is based on faulty scientific evidence and that it is nothing but a fraud. I also offered to testify if he would hold hearings on this waste fraud and abuse...  etc etc etc.

I followed up with a phone call and talked at length to one of his staff people - I'm still waiting for a response.....  chirp, chirp, chirp........

[Gravel]

Thank you for reaching out to the Senator's staff, Mr. Williams. Hopefully they will ask you to brief them or testify at a hearing.

I didn't know he is a doctor. I am impressed with everything I hear about Sen. Coburn. He is one of the best men we have in the Congress.

[Ex Member]

If I recall, Senator Coburn's beef was more concerned with the blanket sharing of personal data than with polygraphy.