The FBI has reportedly increased its use of polygraph lie-detector tests on bureau staff. This move is said to be part of FBI Director Kash Patel 's effort to identify agents who have criticised his leadership or leaked information to the media, a report claims. According to a report by The New York Times (NYT), sources have informed that dozens of FBI personnel have been questioned about the same. This includes a senior employee who was reportedly asked if they had made negative comments about Patel, and another was interviewed as the bureau sought to discover who informed the media about Patel’s unusual request for a service weapon. However, the report didn’t mention how many staff have been specifically asked about Patel.
The report cited the sources to claim that these lie detector tests represent a departure from established precedent at the FBI. Such tests were traditionally more often applied to individuals suspected of betraying the country or committing significant offences, the report adds.
What FBI and ex-agents said about the lie detector tests
In a statement to the NYT, James Davidson, a former agent who spent 23 years in the bureau, said: “An FBI employee’s loyalty is to the Constitution, not to the director or deputy director. It says everything about Patel’s weak constitution that this is even on his radar.”
Meanwhile, the FBI also avoided commenting, claiming that these tests were a part of “personnel matters and internal deliberations.”
As per the NYT, veteran FBI analyst Tonya Ugoretz, who led the directorate of intelligence, was placed on administrative leave after her role in withdrawing a weakly sourced intelligence report became known.
The report, from a new informant, alleged China attempted to influence the 2020 election for Joseph R. Biden Jr. Ugoretz, then a top cyberdivision official, recalled the report due to its shortcomings. Another colleague involved in scrutinising it also retired soon after Patel's confirmation.
This upheaval has led to new leadership appointments, with Will Rivers becoming the bureau’s No. 3, and Jake Hemme, who has been an agent since July 2022 (as per his LinkedIn page), is now serving as Patel’s deputy chief of staff for policy.
The report cited the sources to claim that these lie detector tests represent a departure from established precedent at the FBI. Such tests were traditionally more often applied to individuals suspected of betraying the country or committing significant offences, the report adds.
What FBI and ex-agents said about the lie detector tests
In a statement to the NYT, James Davidson, a former agent who spent 23 years in the bureau, said: “An FBI employee’s loyalty is to the Constitution, not to the director or deputy director. It says everything about Patel’s weak constitution that this is even on his radar.”
Meanwhile, the FBI also avoided commenting, claiming that these tests were a part of “personnel matters and internal deliberations.”
As per the NYT, veteran FBI analyst Tonya Ugoretz, who led the directorate of intelligence, was placed on administrative leave after her role in withdrawing a weakly sourced intelligence report became known.
The report, from a new informant, alleged China attempted to influence the 2020 election for Joseph R. Biden Jr. Ugoretz, then a top cyberdivision official, recalled the report due to its shortcomings. Another colleague involved in scrutinising it also retired soon after Patel's confirmation.
This upheaval has led to new leadership appointments, with Will Rivers becoming the bureau’s No. 3, and Jake Hemme, who has been an agent since July 2022 (as per his LinkedIn page), is now serving as Patel’s deputy chief of staff for policy.
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