Pentagon forces staff to take polygraphs in hunt for leaks to journalists
Jonathan Swan, Adam Entous, Maggie Haberman and Eric Schmitt
Washington: US government investigators have taken the extraordinary step of subjecting about 50 members of the US military’s Joint Staff to polygraph tests over leaks to journalists, including about how the Iran war has created a shortage of crucial munitions, according to officials briefed on the move.
The investigators asked military officers and civilian employees on the Joint Staff if they disclosed classified information to members of the press, and about whether they provided information about diminished US munitions stocks.
The polygraph tests were conducted in August after a flurry of news reports detailed diminished stocks of crucial munitions, including of long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors.
The show of force appeared aimed at not just ferreting out anyone who may have shared information, but intimidating others who might do so in the future, according to people with knowledge of the effort.
Between 1500 and 2000 officers and officials work for the Joint Staff, which co-ordinates operations, policy and war plans with combatant commanders around the world.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that the department “does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly”.
“Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world,” he added.
The scope of the investigation is without parallel. Mass polygraph tests have never been administered to the top ranks of the US military in modern history.
“I’ve never seen polygraphs employed this broadly or at this seniority level,” said Rear Admiral Donald J. Guter, a retired top judge advocate general for the Navy from 2000-02. “In my experience, it’s unprecedented.”
The move comes as multiple news organisations have revealed details about how the war with Iran has drained munition stockpiles and reported on concerns inside the administration about the strategic direction of the conflict.
US President Donald Trump has pressured administration officials to aggressively hunt for those leaking information.
But the president has gone further than merely trying to stop the flow of unauthorised information; he has labelled “treasonous” the media coverage that is critical of the US handling of the war in Iran and the shortages of munitions.
The leaks have intensified an atmosphere of deep distrust and paranoia inside the Pentagon, one that current and former officials say has been fostered by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Surrounded by a tight inner circle of loyalists, Hegseth has pushed out or blocked the promotions of at least 80 generals, admirals and other officials during his tenure.
Since early last year, the Pentagon has been conducting a number of leak investigations in response to news coverage about his leadership, even as he faced criticism for sharing sensitive details about strikes in Yemen in a Signal group last year.
Hegseth has not given a briefing to the Pentagon press corps about the US war in Iran since May 5 and has sought to limit the access of journalists at the Pentagon, a policy that The New York Times has challenged in court.
Last month, the Defence Department fired the publisher and the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, a government-funded news outlet that reports on the US military, a move the journalists said was retribution for their coverage of the worsening conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Trump has stood by Hegseth, saying he is doing a “fantastic job”, despite growing concerns about the leadership turmoil inside the Pentagon.
Recently, some Republicans on Capitol Hill have begun publicly voicing criticism of the Pentagon secretary, saying he is mistreating top officials.
“I have never witnessed more inept management of the brave men and women who serve our country,” Republican Senator Thom Tillis, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote in a social media post this week, calling on Trump to replace Hegseth.
“He is intimidated by competence and retreats to ginning up culture wars instead of soberly attending to the vital work of our national defence and the health and well-being of our fighting force,” Tillis said.
He was among the senators who voted to confirm Hegseth for the role in early 2025, despite having voiced concerns about his nomination.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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