Pentagon gives lie-detector tests to about 50 senior U.S. military staffers in leak probe

The Pentagon subjected about 50 members of the U.S. military’s top planning staff to polygraph tests in August as investigators searched for the source of classified information about weapons shortages linked to the Iran war.

The group included military officers and civilian employees of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Investigators asked whether the staffers had provided classified information to the media and directly examined whether they had disclosed that stocks of long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors had fallen.

The Joint Chiefs coordinates U.S. military operations, defense policy and war planning. Its senior leadership includes the chairman and vice chairman, the Army chief of staff, the chief of naval operations, the Air Force chief of staff, the Marine Corps commandant, the chief of space operations and the chief of the National Guard Bureau. The organization has roughly 1,500 to 2,000 officers and officials.

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I had never seen polygraphs used so broadly on such senior military personnel.

The New York Times quoted retired Rear Adm. Donald J. Guter, a former Navy judge advocate general, as saying he had never seen polygraphs used so broadly on such senior military personnel. He described the operation as unprecedented.

The investigation came as U.S. media published frequent reports about pressure on American weapons stocks during the Iran war. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters, but it investigates leaks involving national-security secrets seriously because protecting classified information affects the safety of the United States and U.S. forces overseas.

President Donald Trump had previously demanded an aggressive search for leakers and described reports criticizing the handling of the Iran war and ammunition shortages as “treason.” The article also said that at least 80 generals, admirals and other officials had been removed, blocked from promotion or left their posts during Pete Hegseth’s tenure as defense secretary. Republican lawmakers have criticized the Pentagon’s management and called on Trump to reassess Hegseth’s leadership.

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Treason