Pete Hegseth, the wrecker at the Pentagon’s helm, is now the object of scorn. It’s in this context that we read reports that he ordered polygraphs for multiple people connected to his alleged rivals. This very worrisome trend is felt deeply by senior adviser Eric Geressy and other top military leaders. This scenario raises profound issues regarding Hegseth’s leadership approach. It further raises serious doubts about the larger execution of personnel management in the Department of Defense.
To root out leakers, Hegseth’s then-military aide, Ricky Buria, instituted a wave of polygraph tests. He subpoenaed several people in his search for the truth. The accuracy of these tests was called into question when Buria himself got an inconclusive result. The effort was a flashy new turn in Hegseth’s headship at the Pentagon. He publicly threatened to subject high-ranking military officers to polygraphs, singling out two senior officials.
One of those specifically targeted was Patrick Weaver, the secretary of defense’s senior adviser. This made Weaver deeply unhappy and he confided to close associates that he felt he was being maligned with no evidence at all. Fortunately, a powerful external adviser with ties to former President Trump intervened in a big way. They were able to stop Weaver’s next polygraph exam. The adviser contacted Tim Parlatore, Hegseth’s lawyer and part-time naval commander, on his cellphone to ensure that the polygraph was discontinued.
Against all initial indications that he would take another look at polygraph use, Hegseth never returned to the issue. This failure to follow through, listing only a few of the issues, calls into question his decision-making processes and his desire to treat his colleagues fairly. The fight blew up big time when Hegseth unilaterally cancelled the promotion of Lt Gen Douglas Sims to a four-star general. Today, he highlighted Sims’ relations with Gen Mark Milley as disposition for this disqualification.
The scope of Hegseth’s personnel actions isn’t limited to commandeering time and attention. Now he’s facing a damning inspector general report. This report arises from disclosures on behalf of Tarik from a Signal group chat focused on U.S. military strikes on Houthi targets. This is why Hegseth has recently ordered a leak investigation, and why his bulldog attitude promises drama as he hunts down the leakers. This unprecedented action underscores his hardball tactic for suppressing any internal dissent.
Field reports indicate that at least one polygraph was requested. Yet this occurred without any of Hegseth’s direct knowledge, complicating the story further. It begs additional questions of accountability and the chain of command all the way to the top of the Pentagon. Critics argue that these tactics undermine trust and morale among personnel. This would endanger the military’s personnel readiness, which is effective military lethality.
With each new development, fears about Hegseth’s competence and judgment to run the Pentagon only deepen. Subjecting coworkers to polygraphs is indicative of a toxic leadership mentality. This adversarial style focuses attention on divisive personnel decisions, not promoting consensus and goodwill.