 "FBI’s polygraph purge: Kash Patel-led US agency using lie detector to test staff loyalty, says report")
Since Kash Patel assumed charge as the Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the agency has intensified its reliance on polygraph tests — not just to guard national secrets, but to gauge employee loyalty.
According to a New York Times report, the bureau has subjected dozens of officials to lie detector tests, some of which included pointed questions about whether staff had spoken negatively about Patel himself.
Senior personnel have been questioned during polygraph screenings and interviews about whether they criticised Patel. In one case, an internal investigation used a polygraph to track down who leaked to the press that Patel had requested a service weapon, an unusual demand given his non-agent status, added the report, citing sources familiar with the matter.
While the total number of personnel asked about Patel remains unclear, the report, citing several insiders, said the tests mark a stark shift in how internal dissent is being policed under his tenure.
The FBI’s expanded use of polygraphs, particularly questions targeting criticism of Kash Patel, reflects a broader crackdown on media leaks and Patel’s sensitivity to his public image.
According to the report, former officials call the practice politically driven and deeply inappropriate, warning it signals a troubling demand for loyalty within the bureau, where dissent is increasingly unwelcome.
Speaking negatively about Patel or his deputy Dan Bongino, officials say, could jeopardise a career.
“An FBI employee’s loyalty is to the Constitution, not to the director or deputy director,” NYT quoted James Davidson, a former agent who spent 23 years in the bureau, as saying.
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More Shorts“It says everything about Patel’s weak constitution that this is even on his radar,” he added.
The FBI declined to comment, citing “personnel matters and internal deliberations,” reported NYT.
President Trump’s appointees have tightened control over the FBI, sidelining or ousting officials tied to investigations unpopular with conservatives.
The purge has reached top ranks, with about 40% of field office leaders having retired, been removed, or reassigned. Some officials left preemptively, fearing retaliation from Patel or Bongino. Among them is Tonya Ugoretz, a senior intelligence official placed on leave after it was revealed she helped retract a dubious tip alleging Chinese interference in the 2020 election in favour of Joe Biden, reported NTY.
Another colleague who was involved in scrutinising the report retired from the bureau shortly after Patel was confirmed as director.
Since then, leadership has shifted dramatically. Will Rivers, once head of the security division, was promoted to the FBI’s No. 3 spot in March and is closely aligned with Patel and his deputy, ongino. Jake Hemme, a relatively new agent, now serves as Patel’s deputy chief of staff for policy.
Amid backlash to a New York Times editorial accusing them of turning the FBI into a pro-Trump political tool, Bongino defended their overhaul as a “reorganisation” driven by personnel changes.
Under Patel and Bongino, polygraph tests have been weaponised. Dozens of staff have been pushed out, demoted, or forced to take loyalty-focused exams. In some cases, agents were placed on leave, then recalled solely to take a test, reported NYT.
The internal atmosphere, current and former officials say, is hostile — marked by distrust, fear of retaliation, and loyalty demands.
Michael Feinberg, a top agent in Norfolk, was told to take a polygraph over his friendship with Peter Strzok, a former counterintelligence official fired for anti-Trump texts. Feinberg resigned, accusing Patel and Bongino of sacrificing expertise for ideology.
Some experts say the Patel-related questions could be control questions meant to gauge baseline reactions. Still, they’ve fueled concerns about politicization and paranoia.
Patel, long sensitive to criticism, has sued multiple people over negative portrayals, including a $75,000 defamation suit against MSNBC contributor Frank Figliuzzi for alleging Patel spent more time in nightclubs than the office.
Patel denies the claim, despite his membership at the Poodle Room, a private club in Las Vegas.
With inputs from agencies
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