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Pentagon plans polygraph tests, NDAs to stem leaks: 5,000 could face random scrutiny

 

The Department of Defense is considering measures that will require more than 5,000 Pentagon personnel to be subjected to random polygraph testing and strict nondisclosure agreements (NDA), all in an effort of curbing information leaks to the press.

Two policy memos, unsigned and undated, were drafted by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg and were obtained by the Washington Post. All personnel working within the office of the defense secretary and the Joint Staff could soon be required to sign an NDA that “prohibits the release of non-public information without approval or through a defined process.” There are already regulations and laws put in place which prohibit and punish Pentagon personnel from disclosing classified information, as well as some unclassified information that is not known to the public to unauthorized sources.

“The protection of sensitive information is paramount to our national security, the safety of our warfighters, and the preservation of critical decision space for our senior leaders,” Feinberg wrote in the NDA policy memo. Those who fail to sign the NDA would be punished.

QUANTICO, VIRGINIA – SEPTEMBER 30: U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, 2025 in Quantico, Virginia. In an unprecedented gathering, almost 800 generals, admirals and their senior enlisted leaders have been ordered into one location from around the world on short notice. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Individuals from the Pentagon told the Washington Post that they viewed the NDA’s intention to have a chilling effect on personnel speaking with members of the press. It’s an attempt to prevent the leak of information — such as the two policy memos — from being shared with the public…

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