WASHINGTON, United States: A Pentagon leak probe subjected several dozen senior US military officials to polygraph tests. This followed after classified details about advanced weapons stockpiles appeared in media reports.
CBS News reported officials briefed on the investigation said the testing took place earlier this summer. Those examined included some US Central Command officials and other combatant commanders.
Two sources told CBS News that nobody failed the questions designed to determine whether officials had leaked information to the media. Moreover, officials described the unusually large number of polygraph examinations as rare.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine did not undergo a polygraph, according to a senior Pentagon official. The New York Times first reported the broader testing effort.
The investigation followed reports during the Iran war about the pace at which the United States was using some of its most advanced and limited munitions. In addition, three sources told CBS News that the leaks angered President Donald Trump.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in July that the Pentagon and Justice Department had formed a joint task force. The goal was to identify people suspected of leaking sensitive government information.
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Hegseth also gave the Pentagon Office of General Counsel, led by Earl Matthews, broad authority to demand records, information and investigative assistance. As a result, senior officials instructed staff to prioritise the requests and respond within two days.
The FBI did not participate in this round of polygraph examinations, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.
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Pentagon regulations permit counterintelligence polygraphs under specific circumstances. However, they require procedural safeguards and, in relevant cases, the person under examination’s consent.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department does not discuss internal personnel or investigative matters. However, it takes leaks of classified national security information seriously.
