By Ryan Patrick Jones and Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on Monday it has started using polygraph tests to aid investigations aimed at identifying the source of leaks emanating from within the law enforcement agency.
“We can confirm the FBI has begun administering polygraph tests to identify the source of information leaks within the bureau,” the bureau’s public affairs office told Reuters in a statement.
The Washington Post was the first to report the FBI’s use of polygraphs, which are commonly known as “lie detector” tests.
Republican President Donald Trump’s administration has been cracking down on people who leak information to journalists since he returned to office in January.
Last week, the U.S. Justice Department made it easier for prosecutors investigating leaks to the news media to subpoena records and testimony from journalists.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned of possible prosecutions of former senior advisors who were fired during a probe into leaks of Pentagon information to the media, saying evidence would be handed over to the Department of Justice once the investigation is completed. Hegseth’s memo requesting the investigation left open the possibility of using polygraphs.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard pledged in March to “aggressively pursuing recent leakers” in order to hold them accountable for unauthorized disclosures.
Last week, Gabbard said she had referred two intelligence community leaks to the Department of Justice, adding that a third criminal referral was on its way.
Gabbard had also said she was willing to work with the Justice Department and the FBI “to investigate, terminate and prosecute” the leakers who she referred to as “criminals.”
(Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
