Top military officials faced polygraphs over leaks of sensitive information on weapons stockpiles, sources say

Key Points:

• Top U.S. military officials underwent extensive polygraph testing this summer amid a leak investigation involving classified information about advanced U.S. weapons stockpiles, though no one failed the tests related to media leaks.
• President Trump was reportedly very angry about the leaks, and concerns arose that a foreign intelligence asset might be involved, prompting a rare large-scale polygraph effort including several dozen personnel from U.S. Central Command and other combatant commands.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth established a joint Pentagon-Justice Department task force to identify and prosecute leakers, granting broad authority to demand information and emphasizing the critical need to protect classified information to safeguard U.S. troops.
• The FBI was not involved in the polygraph testing, which was conducted by military investigators under Pentagon counterintelligence protocols, with some senior officials, such as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, not subjected to the tests.
• The investigation follows previous leak concerns within the Pentagon, including an incident last year involving a classified briefing on China, highlighting ongoing challenges in securing sensitive national security information.