Military polygraphs over munitions leaks reportedly reached dozens of officials
Several dozen military officials reportedly took polygraphs in a munitions leak inquiry, with no reported failures on leak-related questions.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
Military polygraphs over munitions leaks reportedly reached several dozen people earlier this summer, including some U.S. Central Command officials and other combatant commanders, according to U.S. officials briefed on the matter who spoke to CBS News.
The reported testing was part of an investigation after news outlets published sensitive classified information about U.S. stocks of sophisticated weapons. CBS News said it and other outlets had also reported on the rapid use of some advanced munitions during the war.
The people tested included high-ranking military officials, CBS News reported. Officials told the network that senior military and civilian personnel can face polygraphs as part of regular security procedures, but said the number drawn into this inquiry was highly unusual.
Who took polygraphs in the munitions leak investigation?
CBS News reported that several dozen officials were examined, with some personnel from Central Command and other combatant commands among them. The reporting did not identify all of the people tested or disclose the specific material investigators were seeking to trace.
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was not among those polygraphed, a senior Pentagon official told CBS News.
Two sources told CBS News that no one failed the questions designed to establish whether an official had leaked information to reporters. That reported outcome does not amount to a public Pentagon finding on the origin of the disclosures.
Pentagon declines to discuss reported testing
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, did not confirm or deny the reported tests. In a statement to CBS News, he said the department does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters.
Parnell said the department treats leaks of classified national-security information seriously and investigates them. He said protecting classified material is necessary for the security of the United States and deployed troops.
The reported munitions inquiry is separate from accounts earlier this year involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and two named officers. ABC News reported in April 2025 that Hegseth accused senior officers of leaking information and threatened polygraphs in at least two meetings.
According to ABC News, those exchanges concerned reports that Hegseth had planned a China briefing for Elon Musk. The network said Hegseth directed threats at Adm. Christopher Grady, then serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, the Joint Staff director.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Grady was not ultimately given a polygraph in that separate episode. A Joint Staff spokesperson declined to comment when ABC News reported the allegations.
The distinction matters: the latest account describes completed tests tied to reporting on weapons stockpiles, while the April reporting concerned alleged threats over a different reported leak.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.