Pentagon Conducts Polygraph Tests on Officials Amid Leak Investigation

The polygraph tests, first reported by The New York Times last week, followed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement in July that the Pentagon was forming a joint task force with the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute what he called the “unauthorized disclosure ​of sensitive” information to the press.

The August interrogations included some 50 members of the Joint Staff, according to the Times. CBS News also reported that several dozen officials were tested earlier this summer, including those from the U.S. Central Command.

Sources told The Washington Post that Trump clashed with Hegseth over the matter during a visit to Camp David on July 31, claiming that he had been “misled on extreme munitions shortages that now threaten to limit military options with Iran.”

“That is valuable information to any U.S. adversary,” he tells TIME. “Obviously, if they know that we're out of ammo in some significant way, it changes deterrence calculations for U.S. adversaries.”

“Smart people can put together pretty accurate estimates of what the U.S. has used up between looking at what's been produced, which isn't necessarily a closely guarded secret, and looking at what has been expended on the battlefield,” he says. “Maybe not with the same amount of fidelity [as Pentagon officials], but the Iranians can tell when they're not getting hit by as many standoff munitions, and certainly everyone can tell when U.S. and partners have run out of interceptors.”

“If two people at a think tank can do this analysis with entirely unclassified sources, then the Chinese, with tens of thousands of intelligence operatives, and way better sources of information can get much better numbers,” Cancian says.

The Pentagon adheres to specific guidelines and restrictions when administering polygraph tests. They are most commonly used in pre-employment and vetting for intelligence agencies like the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency. They are also administered when personnel are seeking or maintaining access to top-secret, special-access, or other sensitive information—as well as in the event of unauthorized disclosures of classified information.

Pentagon rules require an examinee’s written consent and allow the person to end the examination at any time. For an issue-specific counterintelligence examination, investigators must have interviewed the person, reasonably believe that the person knew about or was involved in the matter, pursue other investigative avenues as thoroughly as circumstances permit, and determine that the polygraph is essential to the investigation.

The Defense Secretary is also required to establish a process for monitoring the “responsible and effective” use of polygraphs and to make information about their use available to congressional defense committees.

The Pentagon has not released enough information to determine whether investigators followed all those requirements. It also has not disclosed the investigation’s findings. CBS News, however, reported that no one had failed the questions meant to determine whether any officials had leaked information to the media.

It also said that the polygraph tests included a wide range of questions pertaining to national security. Specifically, The New York Times reported that officials were asked if they had disclosed classified information to members of the press, according to information provided by its sources close to the investigation, and if they had provided information about diminished munitions stocks.

People familiar with the effort told the Times that the tests appeared intended not only to identify a leaker but also to deter officials who might leak classified information to the media in the future.

“Periodically, task forces have recommended that the White House take concerted steps to facilitate leak investigations, such as regularizing the use of polygraphs and requiring government employees who speak with the press to provide advance notice, followed by summaries of what was discussed,” he wrote.

Polygraphs have been considered or used in leak investigations under more recent administrations, as well. During the George W. Bush administration, the FBI interviewed nearly 100 members and staff of congressional intelligence committees while investigating leaked intelligence connected to the Sept. 11 attacks. Agents commonly asked whether they would take polygraphs, but most declined.

In early 2025, the Department of Homeland Security administered lie detector tests to identify people suspected of disclosing plans for immigration raids. That year, members of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office were reportedly polygraphed in response to a leak investigation. At the direction of Director Kash Patel, the FBI also began using polygraphs in leak investigations in 2025. In a separate episode this year, more than two dozen current and former members of Patel’s security detail—in addition to some information-technology employees—were reportedly tested in an effort to identify sources of leaks about his leadership.

While no leakers have been identified to the public, and it remains unknown whether the efforts uncovered any, the tests may serve a secondary purpose—which is to dissuade officials from sharing information in the future.

“Every administration is concerned about that. I think this one is particularly concerned about that,” Cancian says. Otherwise, officers may hesitate to put concerns in writing, circulate formal objections, or talk openly within authorized channels. The Joint Staff is tasked with giving civilian leaders candid assessments of readiness, risk, and operational sustainability, while coordinating with combatant commands around the world.

He says that this polygraph hunt is a way for Hegseth to test the loyalty of his employees amid pressure over the continuation of efforts in Iran. Just this week, Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina urged Trump to replace Hegseth as Defense Secretary.