By Steve Neavling
Since Kash Patel took over as FBI director, the bureau has dramatically ramped up its use of polygraph tests, often asking agents whether they’ve spoken negatively about Patel himself, according to multiple people familiar with the matter, The New York Times reports.
In one case, polygraphs were used to identify who leaked Patel’s unusual request for a service weapon, despite not being an agent. More broadly, the lie-detector tests are part of a sweeping crackdown on leaks and dissent, as Patel and deputy director Dan Bongino consolidate power.
“An FBI employee’s loyalty is to the Constitution, not to the director or deputy director,” said James Davidson, a former agent. “It says everything about Patel’s weak constitution that this is even on his radar.”
The FBI declined to comment, citing personnel matters.
Several top officials have been forced out or reassigned since Patel’s appointment, while others have left preemptively, fearing retaliation. Roughly 40% of FBI field offices have seen leadership turnover, according to people familiar with the situation.
Tonya Ugoretz, a longtime intelligence official, was placed on leave after her role emerged in withdrawing a flawed report alleging Chinese interference in the 2020 election. Another senior official who helped scrutinize the report retired after Patel’s confirmation.
Some of those remaining have quickly risen. Will Rivers was promoted in March to the FBI’s No. 3 role and is seen as carrying out directives from Patel and Bongino. Jake Hemme, who became an agent in mid-2022, now serves as Patel’s deputy chief of staff for policy.
In a recent Times editorial criticizing the FBI’s direction, Bongino dismissed the piece as a “poorly thought out hit piece” but confirmed that he and Patel are behind “dramatic personnel changes” and a bureau-wide reorganization.
Although polygraphs aren’t admissible in court, they’re commonly used for background checks. But under Patel and Bongino, former officials say they’ve become a tool for purging perceived disloyalty. One agent was even brought back from leave just to be tested, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The aggressive measures have fueled distrust inside the bureau, where some worry about being reported for private conversations or associations. One former Norfolk agent, Michael Feinberg, was threatened with a polygraph over his friendship with Peter Strzok, a former counterintelligence official and frequent target of Trump allies.
Strzok, who helped lead the Russia investigation, was fired over anti-Trump texts and later named on Patel’s “enemies list.” It’s unclear how the FBI learned about his friendship with Feinberg.
