Pentagon gives polygraph tests to 50 Joint Chiefs staffers over leaks

The Pentagon subjected 50 military officers and civilian employees to polygraph tests as investigators searched for the source of leaks about U.S. ammunition reserves, according to officials cited by The New York Times.

The tests, conducted in August, asked Joint Chiefs of Staff personnel whether they had disclosed classified information to journalists. Investigators also questioned them about information concerning reduced American stocks of critical munitions, including long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors, amid the war with Iran.

People familiar with the initiative said it appeared designed not only to identify anyone who had shared information, but also to deter others from doing so. The testing followed a wave of news reports detailing the depleted reserves.

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does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters, but it takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly.

Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, said the department “does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters, but it takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly.” He added: “Protecting classified information is crucial to ensuring the security of the United States and our troops deployed around the world.”

Polygraphs are commonly used in background checks and security-clearance renewals for government employees with access to sensitive state secrets. But analysts and anonymous sources cited by The New York Times and CBS said mass testing of senior U.S. military personnel as part of a leak investigation was very rare, and possibly unprecedented in modern history.

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Protecting classified information is crucial to ensuring the security of the United States and our troops deployed around the world.