FBI Polygraph Crackdown 2025: Patel’s Lie Detector Leak Hunt

Confirmation and Early Tenure

On February 20, 2025, the United States Senate confirmed Kashyap "Kash" Patel as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a narrow 51-49 vote [1]Verified Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director in 51-49 vote
Confirms Patel was confirmed on February 20, 2025 by a 51-49 Senate vote. Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined all Democrats in voting against the nomination [1]Verified Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director in 51-49 vote
Confirms Patel was confirmed on February 20, 2025 by a 51-49 Senate vote. Patel replaced outgoing Director Christopher Wray, who had announced his resignation at the end of the Biden presidency in December 2024 [2]Verified Kash Patel - Wikipedia
Confirms Patel's background, education, career history, and status as first South Asian FBI director. Patel became the first person of South Asian descent to serve as FBI director [2]Verified Kash Patel - Wikipedia
Confirms Patel's background, education, career history, and status as first South Asian FBI director.

Patel's background set the stage for a consequential tenure. He studied criminal justice and history at the University of Richmond, graduating in 2002, and earned his juris doctor from Pace University School of Law in 2005, along with a certificate in international law from University College London [3]Verified Director Kash Patel - Official FBI Biography
Confirms Patel became ninth FBI Director on February 20, 2025, and details his education and career history. He began his career as a public defender in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and later served as a federal public defender for the Southern District of Florida [3]Verified Director Kash Patel - Official FBI Biography
Confirms Patel became ninth FBI Director on February 20, 2025, and details his education and career history. He joined the Department of Justice in 2014 as a national security prosecutor, leading cases against al-Qaeda and ISIS operatives [3]Verified Director Kash Patel - Official FBI Biography
Confirms Patel became ninth FBI Director on February 20, 2025, and details his education and career history. He later gained prominence as a senior aide to then-House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, serving as the primary author of the controversial "Nunes memo" alleging FBI officials abused their surveillance authority during the Russia investigation [2]Verified Kash Patel - Wikipedia
Confirms Patel's background, education, career history, and status as first South Asian FBI director.

Before his confirmation, Patel had no previous FBI experience [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing. His deputy, Dan Bongino — a former Secret Service agent and conservative media personality — similarly had no prior bureau background [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing. Together, they arrived at an agency many Trump supporters believed had been improperly used against conservatives, and they brought an aggressive reform agenda focused on what they described as rooting out political bias within the bureau's ranks. For prospective federal employees preparing for polygraph testing under this new era of scrutiny, understanding polygraph test preparation has become more important than ever.

A Long History of FBI Polygraph Testing

The FBI has a well-established history with polygraph testing. The bureau's polygraph initiative dates back to 1978, with personnel security testing commencing in 1983 [5]Verified FBI Personnel Security Polygraph Program Leaflet
Confirms FBI polygraph history dating to 1978, with all-applicant testing from 1994, and that the FBI recognizes polygraph as 'not an exact science'. Limited applicant testing began in 1985, and by 1994 it expanded to include all applicants seeking FBI employment [5]Verified FBI Personnel Security Polygraph Program Leaflet
Confirms FBI polygraph history dating to 1978, with all-applicant testing from 1994, and that the FBI recognizes polygraph as 'not an exact science'. The FBI first began requiring the polygraph exam for all applicants in 1994, according to a 2006 report by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General [6]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel waived polygraph tests for deputy, senior staff
Confirms FBI first required polygraph for all applicants in 1994 per 2006 DOJ OIG report; details standard polygraph questions and waiver controversy. Traditionally, these exams have been used as part of broader background checks, with examiners asking a standard list of questions about drug use, criminal history, foreign contacts, and mishandling of classified information [6]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel waived polygraph tests for deputy, senior staff
Confirms FBI first required polygraph for all applicants in 1994 per 2006 DOJ OIG report; details standard polygraph questions and waiver controversy. All FBI employees are polygraphed on two core issues: drug usage and counterintelligence/national security [5]Verified FBI Personnel Security Polygraph Program Leaflet
Confirms FBI polygraph history dating to 1978, with all-applicant testing from 1994, and that the FBI recognizes polygraph as 'not an exact science'.

The standard FBI polygraph examination typically entails three parts, according to Alan Saquella, a professional polygraph examiner and professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University [7]Verified The FBI and other federal agencies are using polygraph tests to find leakers
Confirms FBI polygraph program details, expert commentary from Saquella and Mauriello, and the three-part exam process. First comes the pre-test, in which the examiner gathers information from the subject. Then there is the actual test, which includes around a dozen questions with a short pause before the interviewee answers. Finally, there is a post-test when the interviewee has the opportunity to talk through their results [7]Verified The FBI and other federal agencies are using polygraph tests to find leakers
Confirms FBI polygraph program details, expert commentary from Saquella and Mauriello, and the three-part exam process. Understanding what questions can be asked in a polygraph test provides important context for how far the new leak-hunting protocol departed from standard practice.

The 2025 Expansion Into Leak Hunting

Under Patel's leadership, the bureau's use of the polygraph expanded dramatically in both scope and purpose. On April 28, 2025, the FBI confirmed to NPR that it had started using polygraph tests to track down employees who may have been leaking information to the press [7]Verified The FBI and other federal agencies are using polygraph tests to find leakers
Confirms FBI polygraph program details, expert commentary from Saquella and Mauriello, and the three-part exam process. The bureau's public affairs office told Reuters in a statement: "We can confirm the FBI has begun administering polygraph tests to identify the source of information leaks within the bureau" [8]Verified FBI starts using polygraph tests in internal leak investigations
Confirms FBI public affairs statement to Reuters about beginning polygraph tests for leak identification. An FBI spokesperson separately stated that "the seriousness of the specific leaks in question precipitated the polygraphs, as they involved potential damage to security protocols at the bureau" [9]Verified FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for 'leak' hunts
Confirms the FBI spokesperson quote about 'potential damage to security protocols,' the climate of fear, and that leaked information was 'not necessarily against the law'.

What made this program distinctive was its explicit targeting of media leaks — information sharing that, according to current and former officials, often did not involve classified material [9]Verified FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for 'leak' hunts
Confirms the FBI spokesperson quote about 'potential damage to security protocols,' the climate of fear, and that leaked information was 'not necessarily against the law'. National security agencies across the Trump administration were described as "ramping up investigations into alleged leaks to the news media, in some cases using polygraph tests that current and former officials say are creating a climate of fear and intimidation" [9]Verified FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for 'leak' hunts
Confirms the FBI spokesperson quote about 'potential damage to security protocols,' the climate of fear, and that leaked information was 'not necessarily against the law'. Former officials noted that the administration was "not looking only for people leaking classified information" but was also "looking for people leaking negative information, which is not necessarily against the law" [9]Verified FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for 'leak' hunts
Confirms the FBI spokesperson quote about 'potential damage to security protocols,' the climate of fear, and that leaked information was 'not necessarily against the law'.

Research on information leakage in the context of detection testing is relevant here. Studies on the Concealed Information Test have examined whether item detailedness can counter information leakage effects, investigating if more specific questions preserve detection accuracy while reducing false positives [10]Verified Countering information leakage in the Concealed Information Test: The effects of item detailedness
Foundational research on information leakage in polygraph-style testing and whether specific questions preserve detection accuracy. Similarly, research by Gáspár Lukács on information leakage in response time-based concealed information tests found that traditional accuracy can be severely reduced (AUC =.61-.64) when information leakage occurs, though novel testing methods maintained substantially higher accuracy [11]Verified Information leakage in the response time-based concealed information test
Demonstrates information leakage severely reduced traditional CIT accuracy but novel methods maintained higher accuracy.

Questions About the Director Himself

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the FBI's expanded polygraph program was the nature of the questions being asked. According to The New York Times reporting cited by Axios, the FBI subjected senior agents to lie-detector tests to identify the sources behind fairly routine news stories and even asked whether agents had ever "disparaged Director Kash Patel" [12]Verified Trump's paranoid security state
Confirms FBI polygraphed agents about disparaging Patel, FEMA staffers polygraphed after Noem meeting leak, and government-wide scope of testing. Multiple former FBI employees confirmed that senior employees were asked during polygraph tests whether they had said anything negative about Patel or had spoken to the media [12]Verified Trump's paranoid security state
Confirms FBI polygraphed agents about disparaging Patel, FEMA staffers polygraphed after Noem meeting leak, and government-wide scope of testing.

In one notable instance, officials were subjected to polygraph testing after the agency sought to determine who had disclosed to the press that Patel had demanded a service weapon — an unusual request given that he is not a field agent. This use of the polygraph to investigate a news story about the director's own request represented a significant departure from the tool's traditional counterintelligence and criminal investigation purposes.

Research on deception detection and leakage demonstrates that judgment order significantly affects deception detection — subjects who judged attitude first showed greater truthfulness bias and over-attribution [13]Verified Anchoring in the detection of deception and leakage
Research on how judgment order affects deception detection, relevant to polygraph questioning structures. This research has implications for how polygraph examinations structured around loyalty questions may produce different results than standard counterintelligence screening.

The Culture Impact on FBI Workforce

The loyalty-test dimension of these polygraphs alarmed both current and former officials. Former agents noted that criticizing the FBI director was hardly unusual — many acknowledged having criticized previous directors throughout their careers. Some former officials reported that agents were warned that being disparaging toward FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino could cost them their job.

The combination of summary dismissals, polygraph threats, and leak prosecutions rattled the FBI workforce. One former senior intelligence community lawyer described the atmosphere by saying "People are terrified" [9]Verified FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for 'leak' hunts
Confirms the FBI spokesperson quote about 'potential damage to security protocols,' the climate of fear, and that leaked information was 'not necessarily against the law'. The examinations were described as creating a chilling effect on normal workplace communication, with agents becoming reluctant to discuss even routine matters for fear of being flagged as potential leakers.

The polygraph's value as an investigative tool, however, should not be overlooked. As Thomas Mauriello, a former Department of Defense agent who has conducted approximately 1,200 polygraph tests, noted, polygraphs are most effective not for directly detecting lies, but for triggering someone to confess or disclose information [7]Verified The FBI and other federal agencies are using polygraph tests to find leakers
Confirms FBI polygraph program details, expert commentary from Saquella and Mauriello, and the three-part exam process. For individuals who may face similar examinations, understanding how honest people can successfully pass a polygraph test remains essential guidance. Research on involuntary emotional leakage by Stephen B. Porter found that emotional leakage occurred in 98.3% of participants attempting to mask their feelings, particularly during high-intensity situations [14]Verified Secrets and Lies: Involuntary Leakage in Deceptive Facial Expressions as a Function of Emotional Intensity
Found emotional leakage occurred in 98.3% of participants attempting to mask feelings, supporting the physiological basis of deception detection — underscoring the scientific basis for why polygraphs can be a powerful tool in high-stakes settings.

Background and Career

One of the most visible casualties of the FBI's expanded polygraph program was Michael Feinberg, a senior FBI agent who had served at the bureau for approximately 16 years after joining in 2009 [15]Verified Goodbye to All That - Michael Feinberg
Confirms Feinberg's own account of his resignation, the polygraph threat, his friendship with Strzok, and his critique of FBI leadership. Feinberg was the assistant special agent in charge at the FBI's Norfolk, Virginia field office, specializing in China-related counterintelligence cases [15]Verified Goodbye to All That - Michael Feinberg
Confirms Feinberg's own account of his resignation, the polygraph threat, his friendship with Strzok, and his critique of FBI leadership. He had earned his J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in 2004 and was widely respected within the bureau, having received the FBI's highest honor, the Director's Award for Excellence [15]Verified Goodbye to All That - Michael Feinberg
Confirms Feinberg's own account of his resignation, the polygraph threat, his friendship with Strzok, and his critique of FBI leadership. He was on track for senior executive promotion [16]Verified FBI Agent Feinberg Resigns Amid Alleged Political Targeting
Confirms details of Feinberg's May 31 calls, his Norfolk role, Evans as supervisor, Strzok on Patel's enemies list, and timeline of resignation.

The Polygraph Threat and Resignation

Feinberg's trouble began because of his friendship with Peter Strzok, a veteran counterintelligence official who had been fired from the FBI in 2018 after text messages critical of Trump were made public [16]Verified FBI Agent Feinberg Resigns Amid Alleged Political Targeting
Confirms details of Feinberg's May 31 calls, his Norfolk role, Evans as supervisor, Strzok on Patel's enemies list, and timeline of resignation. Strzok appeared on what Patel described as a list of adversaries in his 2023 book, Government Gangsters [16]Verified FBI Agent Feinberg Resigns Amid Alleged Political Targeting
Confirms details of Feinberg's May 31 calls, his Norfolk role, Evans as supervisor, Strzok on Patel's enemies list, and timeline of resignation.

On May 31, 2025, Feinberg had a series of calls with his supervisor, Dominique Evans, the special agent in charge of the Norfolk office [16]Verified FBI Agent Feinberg Resigns Amid Alleged Political Targeting
Confirms details of Feinberg's May 31 calls, his Norfolk role, Evans as supervisor, Strzok on Patel's enemies list, and timeline of resignation. According to Feinberg's own account, Evans informed him in a moment she described as "brutally honest" that his promotions would not happen, he needed to prepare for the likelihood of demotion, and he would be asked to submit to a polygraph exam probing the nature of his friendship with Strzok — acting at the direction of Deputy Director Bongino [16]Verified FBI Agent Feinberg Resigns Amid Alleged Political Targeting
Confirms details of Feinberg's May 31 calls, his Norfolk role, Evans as supervisor, Strzok on Patel's enemies list, and timeline of resignation.

Less than 24 hours later, Feinberg resigned on June 1, 2025, five years short of eligibility for retirement and a pension [15]Verified Goodbye to All That - Michael Feinberg
Confirms Feinberg's own account of his resignation, the polygraph threat, his friendship with Strzok, and his critique of FBI leadership. In his essay "Goodbye to All That" published on the Lawfare blog on July 3, 2025, he explained that to keep his job he would have been "expected to grovel, beg forgiveness, and pledge loyalty" [16]Verified FBI Agent Feinberg Resigns Amid Alleged Political Targeting
Confirms details of Feinberg's May 31 calls, his Norfolk role, Evans as supervisor, Strzok on Patel's enemies list, and timeline of resignation. He wrote that "more and more special agents are driven out of the Bureau on mere suspicion of political unreliability" [16]Verified FBI Agent Feinberg Resigns Amid Alleged Political Targeting
Confirms details of Feinberg's May 31 calls, his Norfolk role, Evans as supervisor, Strzok on Patel's enemies list, and timeline of resignation.

Feinberg's case illustrated a significant dynamic in modern polygraph practice: the mere threat of a loyalty-focused polygraph can function as a coercive instrument even when an exam is never actually administered. Research on leakage of information to innocent suspects demonstrates that mere knowledge of details can elicit detection effects regardless of how information was acquired [17]Verified Leakage of information to innocent suspects
Demonstrates mere knowledge of details elicits CIT effects regardless of how information was acquired, creating false-positive risk, raising important questions about the reliability of examinations conducted in politically charged environments. For those navigating similar situations, our guide to private lie detector tests near you can provide independent alternatives.

The ProPublica Investigation

While career FBI agents faced intensified polygraph scrutiny, a contrasting picture emerged for the bureau's new political appointees. In November 2025, ProPublica reported that Director Patel had granted polygraph waivers to Deputy Director Dan Bongino and two other newly hired senior FBI staff members — Marshall Yates, the agency's Congressional liaison, and Nicole Rucker, Patel's personal assistant — exempting them from passing polygraph exams normally required to gain access to America's most sensitive classified information [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing.

Bongino's role as the FBI's second-highest-ranking official meant he was responsible for day-to-day operations of the agency, including green-lighting surveillance missions, coordinating with intelligence agency partners, and managing the bureau's 56 field offices [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing. The deputy director also receives the President's Daily Brief, which contains intelligence from the CIA and the National Security Agency [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing. Former FBI officials told ProPublica they could not recall a single instance in which a senior official like Bongino received a waiver and was then given a top secret clearance without passing a standard background check [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing.

It is important to note that when ProPublica sought comment, FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson stated: "It is false that the individuals you referenced failed polygraphs" and added that "The FBI follows all laws and procedures on personnel security measures" [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing. ProPublica could not determine whether Bongino actually sat for a polygraph exam or what its results were [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing.

Senate Scrutiny

Senator Dick Durbin, the Democratic ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, raised the issue during a September 2025 hearing, stating: "As I understand it from highly credible sources, key members of Director Patel's senior executive team and others on the seventh floor had disqualifying alerts on their initial polygraph exams" [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing. When Durbin asked Patel directly whether any individual on his senior executive team had received disqualifying alerts on their polygraphs, Patel refused to answer [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing.

Daniel Meyer, a former executive director for the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community External Review Panel, told ProPublica that an FBI employee would not be excluded from taking a polygraph exam simply because they are a Schedule C political appointee, and three other national security lawyers agreed [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing. The FBI's own employment eligibility guidelines state that "the preliminary employment requirements include a polygraph examination" [6]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel waived polygraph tests for deputy, senior staff
Confirms FBI first required polygraph for all applicants in 1994 per 2006 DOJ OIG report; details standard polygraph questions and waiver controversy.

All FBI employees have been subject to polygraph testing since 1994 [5]Verified FBI Personnel Security Polygraph Program Leaflet
Confirms FBI polygraph history dating to 1978, with all-applicant testing from 1994, and that the FBI recognizes polygraph as 'not an exact science', and the FBI's eligibility requirements clearly state that candidates must complete a background investigation, including a polygraph, to receive an FBI Top Secret Security Clearance [18]Verified FBI Eligibility and Hiring Requirements
Confirms FBI requires polygraph examination as part of background investigation for all employees to receive Top Secret clearance. For polygraph professionals and those studying the field, our Polygraph Research Database contains extensive peer-reviewed literature on examination standards and practices.

The February 2025 Directive

The FBI was not the only federal agency to dramatically expand its polygraph program in 2025. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — who was confirmed by the Senate on January 25, 2025, in a 59-34 vote [19]Verified Kristi Noem - Wikipedia
Confirms Noem was confirmed January 25, 2025 in a 59-34 Senate vote as eighth Secretary of Homeland Security — issued an internal directive requiring that all polygraphs the DHS administers must include a question about unauthorized communications with media and nonprofit organizations [20]Verified Noem Directs Polygraph Use to Target Homeland Security Leaks
Confirms Noem's internal directive requiring media leak questions in DHS polygraphs, McLaughlin's statement, and CBP as primary polygraph user. Bloomberg Government first reported the directive on February 18, 2025 [20]Verified Noem Directs Polygraph Use to Target Homeland Security Leaks
Confirms Noem's internal directive requiring media leak questions in DHS polygraphs, McLaughlin's statement, and CBP as primary polygraph user.

Noem cited the "deleterious effects" of leaks on border and interior immigration enforcement [20]Verified Noem Directs Polygraph Use to Target Homeland Security Leaks
Confirms Noem's internal directive requiring media leak questions in DHS polygraphs, McLaughlin's statement, and CBP as primary polygraph user. Trump's border czar Tom Homan had been particularly vocal about leaked information that he claimed foiled planned immigration enforcement operations in Colorado and California [20]Verified Noem Directs Polygraph Use to Target Homeland Security Leaks
Confirms Noem's internal directive requiring media leak questions in DHS polygraphs, McLaughlin's statement, and CBP as primary polygraph user. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin was unequivocal in defending the program, stating: "DHS is a national security agency. As such, it should and will polygraph personnel" [7]Verified The FBI and other federal agencies are using polygraph tests to find leakers
Confirms FBI polygraph program details, expert commentary from Saquella and Mauriello, and the three-part exam process.

Prior to this directive, no department-wide polygraph screening program existed within DHS [21]Verified DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's Anti-Leak Polygraph Directive Disclosed
Confirms directive text, that no department-wide polygraph program previously existed at DHS, and Noem's 'We're polygraphing everybody' quote. U.S. Customs and Border Protection was the primary user of polygraphs within the department, as federal law requires the agency to use examinations for all law enforcement positions [20]Verified Noem Directs Polygraph Use to Target Homeland Security Leaks
Confirms Noem's internal directive requiring media leak questions in DHS polygraphs, McLaughlin's statement, and CBP as primary polygraph user. Understanding how polygraphs are used by agencies like CBP — as outlined in our ICE polygraph exam guide — provides important context for how far Noem's new directive departed from established norms.

TSA Administers the Tests

The DHS polygraph exams were administered by a little-known office inside the Transportation Security Administration — the part of DHS commonly known for screening passengers and baggage at airports [22]Verified Inside Kristi Noem's Polygraph Operation
Confirms polygraphs administered by TSA office, tests targeted unclassified information, and DHS used testing for loyalty rather than classified information protection. Under previous administrations, agents within TSA's polygraph program worked on criminal or administrative investigations, such as testing airport employees accused of theft of passenger property [22]Verified Inside Kristi Noem's Polygraph Operation
Confirms polygraphs administered by TSA office, tests targeted unclassified information, and DHS used testing for loyalty rather than classified information protection. Dozens of DHS staffers, including top FEMA officials, were given lie detector tests over alleged leaks [12]Verified Trump's paranoid security state
Confirms FBI polygraphed agents about disparaging Patel, FEMA staffers polygraphed after Noem meeting leak, and government-wide scope of testing. In one notable case, FEMA staffers who attended a March meeting involving Secretary Noem were subjected to polygraph tests after some contents of the meeting became public [12]Verified Trump's paranoid security state
Confirms FBI polygraphed agents about disparaging Patel, FEMA staffers polygraphed after Noem meeting leak, and government-wide scope of testing.

Noem publicly embraced the program, telling broadcaster Tim Pool in April 2025: "We're polygraphing everybody!" [21]Verified DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's Anti-Leak Polygraph Directive Disclosed
Confirms directive text, that no department-wide polygraph program previously existed at DHS, and Noem's 'We're polygraphing everybody' quote. However, the information employees were accused of leaking was often not classified — it was information that the administration considered embarrassing or disloyal [22]Verified Inside Kristi Noem's Polygraph Operation
Confirms polygraphs administered by TSA office, tests targeted unclassified information, and DHS used testing for loyalty rather than classified information protection. Research on leakage of relevant information to innocent examinees by Ben-Shakhar and colleagues is particularly relevant here, as their findings showed that informed innocents showed larger electrodermal responses to critical items than uninformed innocents, raising important considerations when testing individuals who may have legitimate knowledge of the information in question [23]Verified Leakage of relevant information to innocent examinees in the GKT
Research on how informed innocents show larger electrodermal responses to critical items than uninformed innocents, relevant to information leakage concerns.

The March 2025 Memo and Initial Testing

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth launched his own parallel polygraph program at the Pentagon, driven by a series of leaks that embarrassed his leadership. On March 21, 2025, Hegseth's then-chief of staff, Joe Kasper, issued an internal memo announcing a leak investigation, writing: "Recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications with principals within the Office of the Secretary of Defense demand immediate and thorough investigation. The use of polygraphs in the execution of this investigation will be in accordance with applicable law and policy" [24]Verified Defense Department plans to use polygraph tests in investigations of leaks
Confirms Kasper's March 21 memo text and Pentagon's announcement of polygraph-based leak investigation.

The Pentagon's polygraph testing reached the highest levels of the military. Among those tested were Admiral Christopher Grady, vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Army Lieutenant General Douglas Sims [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context. The tests were conducted on members of the Joint Service Interagency Advisory Group, a team assembled to examine how to counter drug cartels and enhance border security [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context.

White House Halts the Program

The Pentagon's polygraph program was abruptly halted by the White House itself. Patrick Weaver, a senior adviser to Hegseth described as an immigration hawk and loyal Trump associate with ties to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, complained to White House officials that he could soon be ordered to submit to a polygraph test [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context. The complaint triggered a call to Hegseth directing him to stop the testing [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context. The program ended with no final report issued [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context. Kasper himself departed as chief of staff in April amid staff infighting [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context.

The October 2025 Escalation

Despite the initial shutdown, the Pentagon later escalated its anti-leak measures. In October 2025, draft memos from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg outlined plans for widespread random polygraph testing and strict nondisclosure agreements covering more than 5,000 personnel within the Office of the Defense Secretary and the Joint Staff [26]Verified Pentagon plans widespread random polygraphs, NDAs to stanch leaks
Confirms Steve Feinberg's draft memos for 5,000+ personnel random polygraphs and NDAs, including four-star generals to administrative assistants. The documents did not prescribe a limit on who would be subjected to these agreements and tests, suggesting it could include everyone from four-star generals to administrative assistants [26]Verified Pentagon plans widespread random polygraphs, NDAs to stanch leaks
Confirms Steve Feinberg's draft memos for 5,000+ personnel random polygraphs and NDAs, including four-star generals to administrative assistants.

The draft memo stated that "the protection of sensitive information is paramount to our national security, the safety of our warfighters, and the preservation of critical decision space for our senior leaders" [26]Verified Pentagon plans widespread random polygraphs, NDAs to stanch leaks
Confirms Steve Feinberg's draft memos for 5,000+ personnel random polygraphs and NDAs, including four-star generals to administrative assistants. Failure to comply could result in punishment, including through the military's justice system [26]Verified Pentagon plans widespread random polygraphs, NDAs to stanch leaks
Confirms Steve Feinberg's draft memos for 5,000+ personnel random polygraphs and NDAs, including four-star generals to administrative assistants. Staff in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff who have access to classified information were not previously required to submit to random polygraph testing — Feinberg's directive would change that policy [26]Verified Pentagon plans widespread random polygraphs, NDAs to stanch leaks
Confirms Steve Feinberg's draft memos for 5,000+ personnel random polygraphs and NDAs, including four-star generals to administrative assistants.

The irony of the Pentagon's leak crackdown was not lost on observers: Hegseth himself had been a central figure in the "Signalgate" incident, in which officials accidentally shared sensitive Yemen bombing plans in an unsecured Signal chat that included The Atlantic's editor-in-chief [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context. The Pentagon's inspector general launched an investigation into whether Hegseth shared classified details in private Signal chats [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context. For those interested in how polygraph testing intersects with memory and recall, understanding these dynamics helps explain why high-pressure examination environments can affect test reliability.

The Feasibility Review Memo

The polygraph expansion extended beyond individual agencies to encompass the entire U.S. intelligence community under the direction of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. According to CBS News, Gabbard issued a memo ordering U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct a review of whether random polygraph examinations of their employees or contractors are feasible [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies. The directive emphasized that polygraph test questions related to leaks to the press should become standard during the security clearance adjudication process [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies.

An ODNI official told CBS News that the directive does not establish new policies but instead reinforces existing regulations and legal statutes [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies. The directive did not direct agencies to begin random polygraph examinations but instead asked agencies to review the feasibility of conducting random polygraphs in conjunction with counterintelligence investigations [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies. The official said the review was based on internal U.S. intelligence community findings indicating that a lack of polygraph examinations had emboldened former intelligence personnel to spy on behalf of U.S. adversaries [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies.

Criminal Referrals and Enforcement

Gabbard also announced she had referred multiple leak cases to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution [28]Verified FBI starts using polygraph tests in internal leak investigations
Confirms Gabbard's March pledge to pursue leakers and referral of leak cases to DOJ. DNI spokesperson Olivia Coleman stated: "Since the start of President Trump's second term, we have seen numerous unauthorized disclosures of classified information, which have the potential to damage U.S. strategic alliances and credibility and endanger sources and methods vital to intelligence gathering" [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies. Coleman also noted the irony of the situation, stating: "The fact that deep state actors leaked information about DNI Gabbard's directive, aimed at preventing leaks and protecting classified information, to the media is both deeply ironic and a powerful reminder of why her efforts to identify and deter leakers is urgently necessary" [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies.

Gabbard's directive was described as echoing the aggressive approach taken under the Obama administration following the massive disclosure of classified information by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies. In 2014, then-DNI James Clapper had instructed federal agencies to question applicants and employees about whether they had shared classified material with the news media [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies.

For professionals interested in becoming a polygraph examiner or advancing their careers in this rapidly evolving field, the government-wide expansion of polygraph programs represents both a significant opportunity and a call for rigorous adherence to professional standards. Those seeking training can explore our polygraph training programs and specialized courses like the PEAK CATC online polygraph training.

Key Events in Chronological Order

January 20, 2025: President Donald Trump takes office for his second term. Christopher Wray had announced his resignation from the FBI in December 2024 [2]Verified Kash Patel - Wikipedia
Confirms Patel's background, education, career history, and status as first South Asian FBI director.

January 25, 2025: Kristi Noem is confirmed as DHS Secretary and sworn in the same day [19]Verified Kristi Noem - Wikipedia
Confirms Noem was confirmed January 25, 2025 in a 59-34 Senate vote as eighth Secretary of Homeland Security.

February 12, 2025: DHS Secretary Noem issues an internal directive requiring all DHS-administered polygraphs to include questions about unauthorized media communications [21]Verified DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's Anti-Leak Polygraph Directive Disclosed
Confirms directive text, that no department-wide polygraph program previously existed at DHS, and Noem's 'We're polygraphing everybody' quote.

February 18, 2025: Bloomberg Government first reports on Noem's polygraph directive [20]Verified Noem Directs Polygraph Use to Target Homeland Security Leaks
Confirms Noem's internal directive requiring media leak questions in DHS polygraphs, McLaughlin's statement, and CBP as primary polygraph user.

February 20, 2025: The Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director in a 51-49 vote [1]Verified Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director in 51-49 vote
Confirms Patel was confirmed on February 20, 2025 by a 51-49 Senate vote.

March 2025: DNI Tulsi Gabbard pledges to "aggressively pursue recent leakers" [28]Verified FBI starts using polygraph tests in internal leak investigations
Confirms Gabbard's March pledge to pursue leakers and referral of leak cases to DOJ.

March 21, 2025: Pentagon Chief of Staff Joe Kasper issues memo announcing leak investigation with polygraphs [24]Verified Defense Department plans to use polygraph tests in investigations of leaks
Confirms Kasper's March 21 memo text and Pentagon's announcement of polygraph-based leak investigation.

April 2025: Pentagon begins administering polygraph tests. Kasper departs as chief of staff amid infighting [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context.

April 28, 2025: The Washington Post first reports on the FBI's use of polygraphs for leak hunting [9]Verified FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for 'leak' hunts
Confirms the FBI spokesperson quote about 'potential damage to security protocols,' the climate of fear, and that leaked information was 'not necessarily against the law'.

April 29, 2025: The FBI confirms to Reuters and NPR that it has begun administering polygraph tests to identify leakers [7]Verified The FBI and other federal agencies are using polygraph tests to find leakers
Confirms FBI polygraph program details, expert commentary from Saquella and Mauriello, and the three-part exam process [8]Verified FBI starts using polygraph tests in internal leak investigations
Confirms FBI public affairs statement to Reuters about beginning polygraph tests for leak identification.

May 2025: Noem tells Tim Pool, "We're polygraphing everybody!" [21]Verified DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's Anti-Leak Polygraph Directive Disclosed
Confirms directive text, that no department-wide polygraph program previously existed at DHS, and Noem's 'We're polygraphing everybody' quote. DHS polygraph program reaches FEMA officials [12]Verified Trump's paranoid security state
Confirms FBI polygraphed agents about disparaging Patel, FEMA staffers polygraphed after Noem meeting leak, and government-wide scope of testing.

May 31, 2025: Michael Feinberg has final calls with his supervisor about demotion and potential polygraph [16]Verified FBI Agent Feinberg Resigns Amid Alleged Political Targeting
Confirms details of Feinberg's May 31 calls, his Norfolk role, Evans as supervisor, Strzok on Patel's enemies list, and timeline of resignation.

June 1, 2025: Feinberg resigns from the FBI [15]Verified Goodbye to All That - Michael Feinberg
Confirms Feinberg's own account of his resignation, the polygraph threat, his friendship with Strzok, and his critique of FBI leadership.

July 3, 2025: Feinberg publishes "Goodbye to All That" on Lawfare [16]Verified FBI Agent Feinberg Resigns Amid Alleged Political Targeting
Confirms details of Feinberg's May 31 calls, his Norfolk role, Evans as supervisor, Strzok on Patel's enemies list, and timeline of resignation.

July 2025: Reports emerge that the White House halted Pentagon polygraph testing after adviser Patrick Weaver complained [25]Verified Pentagon ends lie detector sweep as Hegseth faces leak probe
Confirms Grady and Sims were tested, Weaver's complaint halted the program, no final report issued, and Signalgate context.

October 2025: Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg's draft memos outline plans for random polygraph testing and NDAs for 5,000+ Pentagon personnel [26]Verified Pentagon plans widespread random polygraphs, NDAs to stanch leaks
Confirms Steve Feinberg's draft memos for 5,000+ personnel random polygraphs and NDAs, including four-star generals to administrative assistants. DNI Gabbard issues memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraph screening across the intelligence community [27]Verified DNI Tulsi Gabbard orders U.S. intel agency leaders to stem leaks
Confirms Gabbard's memo ordering feasibility review of random polygraphs, ODNI clarification that it reinforces existing policies, and intelligence community findings about emboldened spies.

November 2025: ProPublica reports that Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing. FBI denies anyone failed their exams [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing.

September 2025: Senator Durbin questions Patel at Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about polygraph waivers [4]Verified FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
Confirms Patel granted polygraph waivers to Bongino, Yates, and Rucker; FBI denied anyone failed their exams; Durbin raised the issue in September hearing.

A Pivotal Moment for the Profession

The 2025 government polygraph crackdown represents one of the most significant expansions of federal lie detector testing in decades. For polygraph examiners, the expansion raises important professional considerations about the scope and application of their craft. Standard polygraph practice, as outlined by the American Polygraph Association, focuses questions on clearly defined issues related to national security, suitability, or criminal investigations. The expansion into loyalty-related questioning represents a new frontier.

For current and prospective federal employees, the 2025 crackdown underscores the importance of understanding the polygraph process. Polygraph testing generally takes place every five years at large intelligence agencies for establishing eligibility for employment and continued access to classified materials [9]Verified FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for 'leak' hunts
Confirms the FBI spokesperson quote about 'potential damage to security protocols,' the climate of fear, and that leaked information was 'not necessarily against the law'. The FBI polygraph examination typically takes approximately two to four hours to complete [29]Verified FBI polygraph takes approximately two to four hours
Confirms FBI polygraph exam duration and three-phase structure.

As polygraph examiner Alan Saquella noted, it is natural for people to be anxious during an exam, but examiners take steps to alleviate nervousness, like providing the list of questions beforehand and starting with simple, innocuous questions [7]Verified The FBI and other federal agencies are using polygraph tests to find leakers
Confirms FBI polygraph program details, expert commentary from Saquella and Mauriello, and the three-part exam process. However, he cautioned against agencies using the test too broadly, stating that randomly pulling employees for testing "doesn't make good sense, and it's certainly not good for morale" [7]Verified The FBI and other federal agencies are using polygraph tests to find leakers
Confirms FBI polygraph program details, expert commentary from Saquella and Mauriello, and the three-part exam process.

Research on vocal deception from a hunter-gatherer perspective provides evolutionary context for understanding why deception detection remains a complex challenge across all settings, from primitive societies to modern government agencies [30]Verified Vocal Deception from a Hunter-Gatherer Perspective
Foundational research relevant to evolutionary perspectives on deception detection.

State-level polygraph associations play an important role in maintaining professional standards during such expansion periods. Organizations like the Kentucky Polygraph Association, the Washington State Polygraph Association, and the Virginia Polygraph Association provide oversight, training standards, and ethical guidelines that help ensure examinations are conducted professionally, regardless of the political environment.

For anyone who needs an independent polygraph examination outside the government context — whether for family disputes or professional matters — booking a private polygraph test offers an alternative that is free from institutional pressures.