The FBI has started using polygraph tests as it probes internal leaks, the bureau confirmed on April 29.
“We can confirm the FBI has begun administering polygraph tests to identify the source of information leaks within the bureau,” a spokesperson for the FBI said.
The spokesperson declined to provide additional information. Polygraphs are commonly known as lie detectors.
The Department of Justice, the FBI’s parent agency, said on April 25 it was rolling back restrictions that prevented prosecutors from compelling testimony or seizing information from reporters.
Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a memorandum that the restrictions needed to be rescinded “in order to identify and punish the source of improper leaks.”
“Federal government employees intentionally leaking sensitive information to the media undermines the ability of the Department of Justice to uphold the rule of law, protect civil rights, and keep America safe,” she said.
Bondi also promised the department will defend the principle of a free and independent press.
She specified several news stories she said came from leaks, including a story detailing how a top Department of Defense adviser was placed on leave, and articles about a U.S. intelligence assessment of Venezuelan transnational gang Tren de Aragua.
President Donald Trump has decried the leaks, writing in an April memorandum that “where a Government employee improperly discloses sensitive information for the purposes of personal enrichment and undermining our foreign policy, national security, and Government effectiveness—all ultimately designed to sow chaos and distrust in Government—this conduct could properly be characterized as treasonous.”
Accountability, including criminal prosecutions, is necessary “to set a new course,” Bondi wrote.
Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in a statement that “strong protections for journalists serve the American public by safeguarding the free flow of information.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said during his confirmation hearing that he was subjected to death threats and forced to move because his personal information was leaked.
“If confirmed as FBI director, Mr. Chairman, you have my commitment that no one in this country will feel that pain,” he told Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) at the time.
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