CISA drops probe into failed polygraph test opened by former chief. The department accused seven staffers last July of “misleading” the agency’s former acting director into taking a polygraph.
i don't know what this is about but
a polygraph is not a truth determining device
if anything it is a intimidation device nothing else
9
Ok-Lets-Talk-It-OutMar 28, 2026
+11
CI (Counterintelligence) Polygraphs are common and used to get access to sensitive classified information. Not everyone needs them, but to get certain access it is required.
The trump appointed CISA director wanted to get access to this sensitive information, so per policy he had to go through a CI Poly. He then failed the CI Poly, which could be for a variety of reasons and it's rarely just because of the actual readings but because he lied during the questioning and it was proven he lied through additional documentation.
When it came out he failed the CI Poly, instead of taking ownership of his failure he claimed he was tricked into doing it and blamed 7 career employees. This article explains that he was not tricked and he willingly took this elective polygraph.
The trump administration and the DHS leadership to include Noem and Tricia McLaughlin blamed the deep state and not the fact that the political appointee failed, likely because of his own dishonesty.
11
[deleted]Mar 28, 2026
-8
[deleted]
-8
Ok-Lets-Talk-It-OutMar 28, 2026
+5
>but 'failed' does not mean lied. he may have lied. but all the polygraph can show is that he was agitated in some form.
I addressed this in the second paragraph. The CI Poly failures rarely comes from the physiological response. It is likely that his response to his questions did not match with known information or from the already completed background check required for his clearance. Then when questioned on the discrepancy likely provided false information or information that did not match previous answers.
Edit: weird thing to block someone over. Oh hidden post and comment history, that explains it.
5
GreenCollegeGardenerMar 28, 2026
+2
Exactly this as someone that has taken them in the past. They will dig into your background according to the readings.
2
[deleted]Mar 28, 2026
-7
[deleted]
-7
BittererrMar 29, 2026
+2
It's not the polygraph that determines the failure, they addressed that.
2
Taysir385Mar 28, 2026
+3
Polygraphs are just twentieth century phrenology. A polygraph cannot tell whether or not someone is telling the truth. All it can do is determine whether or not someone has a physiological response to a question, which can be something as minor as having to think about the question, or finding the interviewers pronunciation funny, or equally minor things.
3
CallidoraBlackMar 29, 2026
+1
That's why polygraphs aren't used as definitive evidence of guilt or innocence. But clearly, they do have a use or intelligence agencies wouldn't use them to screen staff.
1
Automatic_Soil9814Mar 28, 2026
+2
LOTS of people are going to use this as an opportunity to say polygraphs don’t work. It’s more nuanced than that in general and in this case, there’s much more. U/ok-lets-talk-it-out said it well in a comment below:
“ CI (Counterintelligence) Polygraphs are common and used to get access to sensitive classified information. Not everyone needs them, but to get certain access it is required.
The trump appointed CISA director wanted to get access to this sensitive information, so per policy he had to go through a CI Poly. He then failed the CI Poly, which could be for a variety of reasons and it's rarely just because of the actual readings but because he lied during the questioning and it was proven he lied through additional documentation.
When it came out he failed the CI Poly, instead of taking ownership of his failure he claimed he was tricked into doing it and blamed 7 career employees. This article explains that he was not tricked and he willingly took this elective polygraph.
The trump administration and the DHS leadership to include Noem and Tricia McLaughlin blacked the deep state and not the fact that the political appointee failed, likely because of his own dishonesty.”
2
Reds_PRMar 28, 2026
+1
Look, if a guy named Madhu Gottumukkala from a Bay of Bengal backwater failed a polygraph while head of US cybersecurity AND infrastructure security, I want to know how he got there without being adequately vetted, Kristy Noem.
11 Comments