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FBI, national security agencies using polygraphs for ‘leak’ hunts
The Washington Post ^ | APRIL 28, 2025 | Ellen Nakashima and Hannah Natanson

Posted on 04/28/2025 8:40:22 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

Current and former officials say the crackdown is creating a climate of fear and harming national security.

National security agencies across the Trump administration are 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.

At FBI Director Kash Patel’s direction, the bureau in recent weeks has begun administering polygraphs to identify the source of information leaks, an FBI spokesperson said. The new use of polygraphs at the bureau, which are commonly known as “lie detector” tests, has not been previously reported.

“The seriousness of the specific leaks in question precipitated the polygraphs, as they involved potential damage to security protocols at the bureau,” said the spokesperson, who declined to elaborate.

The ramp-up has been bolstered by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s new legal guidelines that allow the Department of Justice to subpoena reporters’ personal communications and broaden the scope of potential criminal prosecution to leaks of not just classified material, but also “privileged and other sensitive” information that the administration says were “designed to sow chaos and distrust” in the government.

But current and former officials note that the broader scope could include information that is simply embarrassing or seen as undermining the administration’s views.

“People are trying to keep their heads down,” said one former FBI field office head, who like others interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. “Morale’s in the toilet. … When you see people who are being investigated, or names [of agents who worked on Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack cases] being passed over to the DOJ, it’s what the f---?”

At the Pentagon, embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened the use of polygraphs, according to current...


(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: ellennakashima; enemieslist; enemyjournalists; fakenews; hannahnatanson; leaks; liedetector; polygraph; protectingspies; waposedition; washingtonpost
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

As if intelligence agencies everywhere and in all eras don’t use measures like these to find “problems” in their ranks.

WaPo propaganda piece.


21 posted on 04/28/2025 9:37:41 PM PDT by TigersEye (The Golden Age of MAGA is upon us!)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom; cgbg; TigersEye

As Tigerseye said: “WaPo propaganda piece.

This story was written by Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post.

That name ring a bell with anyone?

Ellen Nakashima wrote the story printed on 2/9/2017 in the Washington Post article along with Greg Miller, Adam Entous. Again, this is a timed leak to the Washington Post, the publication of which appears to be done directly in advance of the meeting scheduled for the next day between Pence and McCabe.

The very first paragraph in the article states unequivocally: “National security adviser Michael Flynn privately discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States during the month before President Trump took office, contrary to public assertions by Trump officials, current and former U.S. officials said.” In no uncertain terms, The Washington Post states that Flynn lied.

That POS Nakashima was being used as part of the plan to bring down General Flynn. It was a Deep State political hit.

Anyone want to side with the likes of that human stain Ellen Nakashima? Because I sure don’t.


22 posted on 04/28/2025 9:50:05 PM PDT by rlmorel ("A people that elect corrupt politicians are not victims...but accomplices." George Orwell)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Can you imagine them giving polygraphs to all the members of Congress, to weed out all the liars and leakers there?

23 posted on 04/28/2025 9:56:18 PM PDT by Songcraft
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To: rlmorel

Thanks for the ping. I was not aware of any of that.

This current piece just reeked of an attempt to sow division in the FBI and paint a picture of an overbearing new leadership.

What crap! There are bad apples there and they’re being weeded out.


24 posted on 04/28/2025 10:01:26 PM PDT by TigersEye (The Golden Age of MAGA is upon us!)
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To: Secret Agent Man

“People who worry and stress a lot about things can work themselves up.”

I get very tense sometimes. Happened to me when I took one as part of an employment process for a very large financial institution. They said I appeared untruthful on everything. Even when I gave my name. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job.


25 posted on 04/28/2025 10:06:49 PM PDT by rxh4n1
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To: rlmorel

Well done sir to bring that up!


26 posted on 04/28/2025 10:09:18 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Exactly. I don’t care if there’s a Climate affair, because like you said if you’re not leaking, then you got nothing to fear.


27 posted on 04/28/2025 10:21:20 PM PDT by suasponte137
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Current and former officials say the crackdown is creating a climate of fear and harming national security.

Actually, polygraph tests are an essential tool of sensitive security agencies to maintain secrecy and thereby deliberately creating a climate of fear.

We need more of them.


28 posted on 04/29/2025 12:06:35 AM PDT by nathanbedford (Attack, repeat, attack! - Bull Halsey)
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To: Secret Agent Man

In the early ‘80’s, the company I was working for sent me and a small group of guys to Area 51 for a couple of weeks.

But first, we had to go for a polygraph, held at what looked like a dentists office, somewhere in Las Vegas. We were told to say it’s an interview, not a polygraph or lie detector test.

The final question they asked me was “have you ever done anything wrong”. The guys I was with said I was white as a sheet when I came out of there.

At the security briefing when we got on base, we were told if someone asks what did you see, just say “weird looking things”.


29 posted on 04/29/2025 1:07:08 AM PDT by JohnnyP (Thinking is hard work (I stole that from Rush).)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
”current and former officials leakers and traitors say are creating a climate of fear and intimidation”
30 posted on 04/29/2025 1:50:01 AM PDT by UnwashedPeasant (The pandemic we suffer from is not COVID. It is Marxist Democrat Leftism. )
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To: ProtectOurFreedom; cgbg; TigersEye
One more think I keep in mind:

This Ellen Nakashima is definitely a Deep State shill, being used by the intelligence community (of which the FBI is now apparently classified) to carry out their sedition.

And that is what It is-sedition.

When that hit piece came out on Flynn back in 2017, that scum Nakashima was no doubt getting her information leaked from the exact same sources that she leaked in the story she published yesterday.

“People are trying to keep their heads down,” said one former FBI field office head, who like others interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. “Morale’s in the toilet... When you see people who are being investigated, or names [of agents who worked on Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack cases] being passed over to the DOJ, it’s what the f---?”

What is going on is not normal. As TigersEye said, use of polygraphs is very likely not at all abnormal in the DOJ or FBI, and they aren't likely firing people based on the results of a polygraph. That would be infantile to think that is happening.

But they certainly are using it as a focused tool to find out pathways to investigate leaks. We are at war with serious seditionists in our own government who are responsible for enforcing the law, who are breaking the law.

And if the kind of people who leak to the likes of Ellen Nakashima are fearing for "retaliation" against them, than as far as I am concerned, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino are spot-on the RIGHT TRACK to run this down.

31 posted on 04/29/2025 3:46:00 AM PDT by rlmorel ("A people that elect corrupt politicians are not victims...but accomplices." George Orwell)
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To: dadgum

I take a drug test for my CDL
Why should public employees be exempt?


32 posted on 04/29/2025 4:04:52 AM PDT by GranTorino (Bloody Lips Save Ships)
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To: nathanbedford

You are right and the use of polygraphs in both government agencies and the private sector is nothing new. They’ve been doing it for decades.


33 posted on 04/29/2025 4:08:55 AM PDT by circlecity
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To: rlmorel

“What is going on is not normal. As TigersEye said, use of polygraphs is very likely not at all abnormal in the DOJ or FBI, and they aren’t likely firing people based on the results of a polygraph”

The FBI uses polygraph in the hiring process for field agents. My Nephew went through it about six years ago. So it is used to fire, but to not hire. And I have zero doubt it was used to filter out right of center potential agents.


34 posted on 04/29/2025 4:10:32 AM PDT by DAC21
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To: DAC21
"So it is not used to fire but not to hire.
35 posted on 04/29/2025 4:12:21 AM PDT by DAC21
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To: DAC21

“The FBI uses polygraph in the hiring process for field agents. My Nephew went through it about six years ago. So it is used to fire, but to not hire. And I have zero doubt it was used to filter out right of center potential agents.”

The polygraph is the perfect tool for attrition. If you are guilty, you will resign before you are caught. If you are caught, you will be prosecuted. If you are truthful, you move up the ranks.

Simple solution and I would do it to every employee with a TS/SCI clearance.


36 posted on 04/29/2025 4:58:41 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Democrats are not part of the solution. They are part of the problem.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“National security agencies across the Trump administration are 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.”

Ummm - many security clearances, with certain accesses, require regular lie detector tests - it seems that those complaining may have been skipping theirs....


37 posted on 04/29/2025 5:19:47 AM PDT by trebb (So many fools - so little time...)
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To: Secret Agent Man

“Liars can pass polygraphs. They can have certain pathologies or they can train themselves. Most people wont train themselves.”

Thanks for mentioning that. Back when dinosaurs roamed, I had to get polygraphed for a part time job at Radio Shack.

The operator was good. He explained that an honest person, confronted with a question like “Have you ever hurt someone?” will react by showing a response - While a deceiving person will not. They aren’t upset by the question b/c they are waiting and preparing for the big questions. I never considered that.

Also, the machine can’t tell the difference between a $50 lie and a $500 lie. He would ask you about the topic, “Have you ever taken a pen from an office you were visiting? Of course, all of us have such minor things in our past. So, he would draw you out, and then in the test say, “Other than the stapler we talked about, have you ever taken anything greater than a $50 value from an employer?”

Also, he avoided using words like “stolen”. He said words like that will trigger a response in most people. So, instead of saying “Did you murder your wife?” he would say, “Other than the fights we talked about and that incident in Walmart, have you ever done anything the physically harm your wife?


38 posted on 04/29/2025 5:38:15 AM PDT by Not_Who_U_Think (=)
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To: Not_Who_U_Think

Experienced polygraph tests ask lots of questions that will make sense in the proper context.

One lie on a stressful question needs proper context.

Other questions can help provide that.

While it is not perfect—and true skilled sociopaths can beat it—for most people with skilled technicians it is “good enough” and a lot better than nothing.


39 posted on 04/29/2025 6:20:30 AM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

“It’s not a lie if you believe it.” George Costanza


40 posted on 04/29/2025 6:41:58 AM PDT by subterfuge (I'm a pure-blood!)
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