Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s controversial use of polygraph tests to root out suspected leakers at the Pentagon was abruptly halted following direct intervention from the White House, according to a new report by The Washington Post.
The polygraph initiative, described by several U.S. officials as both unprecedented and contentious, reportedly triggered alarm among top Defense Department aides. One such adviser, Patrick Weaver—a longtime immigration hardliner with close ties to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller—lodged a complaint to senior White House officials earlier this spring after learning he might be subjected to a lie detector test.
According to the Post, the White House responded with a phone call instructing Hegseth’s office to cease the use of polygraphs. The individual who made the call has not been publicly identified, though sources cited in the report said the person is closely tied to the administration.
The lie detector tests had already been administered to members of the Joint Service Interagency Advisory Group (JSIAG), a team assembled to examine border security and drug cartel threats, composed of Special Operations forces and interagency representatives including FBI personnel. According to the report, even top Pentagon officials were threatened with tests, including Navy Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Army Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims. Hegseth ultimately declined to promote Sims to a four-star rank, a reversal that reportedly angered senior military leadership.
Colonel Ricky Buria, a Marine officer turned Hegseth senior adviser, reportedly received “inconclusive results” from his own polygraph. Buria has since filed paperwork to retire and accept a political appointment.
Hegseth’s office launched the investigation in March following a memo from then-Chief of Staff Joe Kasper alleging “unauthorized disclosures of national security information.” Kasper stated that polygraphs would be used in accordance with applicable laws and would culminate in a formal report to the Secretary of Defense. The probe coincided with internal turmoil at the Pentagon, including the firing of three senior officials accused by Hegseth’s team of leaking information—an accusation they deny.
The controversy was exacerbated by the so-called “Signalgate” episode, where Hegseth and other senior officials discussed a planned airstrike in Yemen via an unclassified group chat that inadvertently included a journalist from The Atlantic. While the administration claimed the discussion wasn’t classified, witnesses told the Defense Department Inspector General that the information was pulled directly from a “SECRET/NOFORN” classified email.
Adding to the drama was the brief tenure of Justin Fulcher, an aide transferred from the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Fulcher reportedly told colleagues he had access to surveillance capabilities to track leakers—claims later deemed exaggerated and baseless by White House and Pentagon officials, according to the Post. Fulcher left the administration shortly after.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the polygraph allegations, with spokesman Sean Parnell dismissing the controversy as “months old workplace gossip.” The White House referred inquiries back to the Defense Department. Weaver and Buria did not respond to Washington Post inquiries, while Hegseth’s legal adviser Tim Parlatore declined comment.
