WASHINGTON – The Department of Defense is currently conducting an investigation into what it identifies as leaks concerning national security information. This inquiry may lead to Defense Department employees undergoing polygraph tests, as the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to manage classified information.
A memorandum issued on Friday by the chief of staff of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighted unauthorized information disclosures, although it did not specify the details of such leaks. Earlier that day, President Donald Trump refuted claims suggesting that advisor Elon Musk would be briefed on strategies regarding a potential military conflict with China.
The memo stated that if the investigation uncovers information pointing to a specific individual responsible for the unauthorized disclosure, such information would be handed over to the relevant criminal authorities for possible prosecution.
In a related move, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has promised to increase the use of lie detector tests to identify employees who might be leaking operational information to the media.
On Friday, the Justice Department initiated an investigation focusing on what it described as leaks of incorrect yet classified information from intelligence agencies. This information pertains to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, with an aim to facilitate the removal of its members within the United States as part of the Republican-led administration’s efforts.
Leaks are not uncommon in any administration, often originating from officials themselves to gauge public response to potential policy decisions. Nevertheless, polygraph tests, though generally inadmissible in court due to their unreliability and propensity for false positives, continue to be used by federal law enforcement agencies and in assessing national security clearances. In a landmark 1998 ruling, the Supreme Court determined polygraph results inadmissible in military justice.
George Maschke, a former Army interrogator and reserve intelligence officer, who created the website AntiPolygraph.org after failing a polygraph while applying to the FBI, stated that such tests have sporadically been employed since the 1990s to deter sources from communicating with journalists. A Pentagon report from 1999 indicated an expansion of the polygraph program, specifically targeting Defense Department personnel suspected of leaking classified information.
