Since Kash Patel assumed charge as the Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the agency has intensified its reliance on polygraph tests — not just to guard national secrets, but to gauge employee loyalty.

According to a New York Times report, the bureau has subjected dozens of officials to lie detector tests, some of which included pointed questions about whether staff had spoken negatively about Patel himself.

Senior personnel have been questioned during polygraph screenings and interviews about whether they criticised Patel. In one case, an internal investigation used a polygraph to track down who leaked to the press that Patel had requested a service weapon, an unusual demand given his non-agent status, added the report, citing sources familiar with the matter.

While the total number of personnel asked about Patel remains unclear, the report, citing several insiders, said the tests mark a stark shift in how internal dissent is being policed under his tenure.

The FBI's expanded use of polygraphs, particularly questions targeting criticism of Kash Patel, reflects a broader crackdown on media leaks and Patel's sensitivity to his public image.

According to the report, former officials call the practice politically driven and deeply inappropriate, warning it signals a troubling demand for loyalty within the bureau, where dissent is increasingly unwelcome.

Speaking negatively about Patel or his deputy Dan Bongino, officials say, could jeopardise a career.

"An FBI employee's loyalty is to the Constitution, not to the director or deputy director," NYT quoted James Davidson, a former agent who spent 23 years in the bureau, as saying.

"It says everything about Patel's weak constitution that this is even on his radar," he added.

The FBI declined to comment, citing "personnel matters and internal deliberations," reported NYT.

President Trump's appointees have tightened control over the FBI, sidelining or ousting officials tied to investigations unpopular with conservatives.

The purge has reached top ranks, with about 40% of field office leaders having retired, been removed, or reassigned. Some officials left preemptively, fearing retaliation from Patel or Bongino. Among them is Tonya Ugoretz, a senior intelligence official placed on leave after it was revealed she helped retract a dubious tip alleging Chinese interference in the 2020 election in favour of Joe Biden, reported NTY.