Politics Commentary
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has taken decisive action in response to a growing wave of classified intelligence leaks to the media, instructing U.S. intelligence agencies to evaluate the feasibility of conducting random polygraph tests on employees and contractors.
According to officials familiar with the directive, the proposed polygraph examinations would include questions specifically designed to determine whether individuals have leaked classified information to journalists — a move that signals a hardline shift toward accountability inside the intelligence community.
The directive, issued within the past month, is part of a broader effort to reinforce internal security protocols and deter unauthorized disclosures that have plagued federal agencies across multiple administrations. The development was first reported by Just the News.
Cracking Down on the Leak Culture
The push for expanded polygraph testing follows similar actions already taken by several federal agencies that have increasingly turned to lie detector exams to identify the sources of damaging leaks. Under Gabbard’s leadership, those efforts are now poised to be coordinated and potentially standardized across the intelligence community.
Two sources told CBS News that Gabbard’s internal memo explicitly highlights media-related leak questions and indicates that such testing would become more routine and widespread, rather than reserved for rare or extraordinary circumstances.
The directive comes amid mounting concern that politically motivated leaks are undermining national security, damaging relationships with U.S. allies, and exposing sensitive intelligence methods.
Comey Indictment Adds Urgency
Gabbard’s move also follows a major legal development that sent shockwaves through Washington: the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey by a federal grand jury last month.
Comey was charged with making false statements to Congress after denying that he leaked classified information to reporters — an allegation that prosecutors say was contradicted by documentary evidence and witness testimony.
The indictment has renewed scrutiny of a long-standing culture inside federal agencies in which senior officials allegedly felt insulated from consequences when leaking information to shape political narratives.
Reinforcing Existing Authority
An official from Gabbard’s office stressed that the directive does not create new policy, but instead reinforces existing legal authorities and longstanding rules governing the protection of classified material.
“Since the start of President Trump’s second term, we have seen numerous unauthorized disclosures of classified information, which have the potential to damage U.S. strategic alliances and credibility and endanger sources and methods vital to intelligence gathering,” DNI spokesperson Olivia Coleman told CBS News.
Coleman emphasized that safeguarding classified information is a nonpartisan obligation — and that leaking to the press, regardless of motive, is a serious violation of trust.
A Signal to the Intelligence Community
For critics of Washington’s entrenched bureaucracy, the move is being viewed as a long-overdue signal that the era of consequence-free leaking may be coming to an end.
For others inside the intelligence community, it represents a cultural shift — one that places loyalty to the Constitution and national security above personal politics or media narratives.
Either way, Gabbard’s directive makes one thing clear: the intelligence community is on notice. And under the current administration, leaking classified information to the press may finally carry real consequences.
