FBI using lie detectors to test agents' Trump loyalty

Kash Patel took over as FBI director the domestic intelligence and security service has ramped up its use of polygraph tests, not just for matters of national security, but also to identify internal critics and potential leakers.

Some employees were even asked whether they had spoken negatively about Patel himself, according to the New York Times.

In interviews and polygraph tests, the FBI asked senior employees whether they had said anything negative about Patel, according to two people with knowledge of the questions and others familiar with similar accounts, NYT reported.

In one instance, officials were forced to take a polygraph as the agency sought to determine who disclosed to the news to the media that Patel had demanded a service weapon, an unusual request given that he is not an agent.

The number of officials asked to take a polygraph is in the dozens, several people familiar with the matter told NYT, though it is unclear how many have specifically been asked about Patel.

Patel's polygraph campaign is unlikely to stop leaks, but it may silence internal dissent and drain focus from real security threats. Even if it curbs disclosures, the cost could be steep: lower morale, less open communication, and weakened institutional flexibility in the face of complex challenges, according to a report by the UK-based The Conversation.