Polygraph Testing of Senior Military Officials
Several dozen senior U.S. military officials, including top leaders and members of U.S. Central Command and other combatant commands, were subjected to polygraph tests earlier this summer as part of a sweeping investigation into leaks of classified information about the nation's weapons stockpiles, according to sources familiar with the matter. The tests focused on whether officials had provided sensitive national security information to journalists.
The polygraph examinations were triggered by media reports that contained highly sensitive classified details about the U.S. military's stockpiles of sophisticated weapons, CBS News reported, citing U.S. officials briefed on the matter. The leaks reportedly involved concerns about the rapid use of some of the military's advanced, limited-supply munitions during the war.
Trump's Reaction and Foreign Intelligence Concerns
President Donald Trump was reportedly angry over the leaks, according to three sources who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity. A very small set of people had access to the classified details, and there was concern about whether anyone could potentially be acting as a foreign intelligence asset, one source said.
While polygraph tests are often part of the routine cadence for top military and civilian officials, the mass volume of people pulled in for testing in this case was extremely rare, officials said. The unusually large number of polygraphs reflected the scale of the investigation.
No Failures and Exemptions
No one failed the questions meant to determine if officials leaked to the media, two sources told CBS News. The polygraph questions delved deeply into various national security-related matters.
Not all senior military officials were part of the testing. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, was not polygraphed, according to a senior Pentagon official.
Pentagon Response and Legal Context
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement: "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."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in July that the Pentagon and the Justice Department had formed a joint task force to identify and prosecute suspected leakers. Hegseth also authorized the Pentagon's Office of General Counsel to seek records and assistance for leak investigations, with personnel directed to prioritize requests within two days.
The FBI did not conduct the polygraph tests, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter, because the military has its own investigators. Federal law allows defense secretaries to direct counterintelligence investigations that may include polygraphs, though examinations are subject to procedural safeguards and consent requirements.