The Pentagon is using polygraphs to hunt leakers, but the tests are more theater than fact

A CIA veteran explains that a polygraph campaign is not likely to eliminate leaks, but it may divert investigative energy from essential security priorities.

By: Brian O'Neill, Georgia Institute of Technology, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 10, 2026

Words: 1,267

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

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By Brian O'Neill, Georgia Institute of Technology

In August 2026, government investigators subjected roughly 50 military officers and civilian employees on the Joint Staff to polygraph tests as part of an inquiry into press leaks about the Iran war and depleted U.S. munitions, according to The New York Times. The newspaper described the scope of the investigation as unprecedented in the modern military.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has used …

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