FEBRUARY 22 HEARING BEFORE THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE ON THE POLYGRAPH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00338R000300370015-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 21, 2009
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: February 10, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2009/04/21: CIA-RDP86B00338R000300370015-5
r
OLL 84-0651
10 February 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Administration
Director of Security
Special Assistant to the Deputy Director
for Central Intelligence
Deputy Director, Office of Legislative Liaison
SUBJECT: February 22 Hearing Before the Senate Select
Committee on Intelligence on the Polygraph
1. As I earlier informally advised) ~ the
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) will conduct a
hearing on the polygraph at 2:00 p.m. on 22 February 1984.
Representatives from this Agency, the National Security Agency
(NSA), and the Department of Defense (DOD) have been invited to
testify at this hearing. These hearings are the result of a
compromise struck by the SSCI with the Senate Armed Services
Committee (SASC) following the passage of a provision in last
year's DOD Authorization Bill which froze the use of polygraphs
at DOD until 15 April 1984 to that use in effect as of 5 August
1982. The SASC agreed to limit the scope and duration of this
polygraph ban provided that the SSCI held hearings on the use
of polygraph examinations at DOD prior to 15 April 1984.
Senator Chafee also has committed the SSCI to holding polygraph
hearings prior to this 15 April 1984 date.
2. On 9 February 1984, I attended a meeting at the SSCI
with f this office, at which
various representatives from N and DOD also were present and
discussed with staff counsel Vicki Toensing and Peter Sullivan
the suggested scope and content of each agency's presentation
on the polygraph before the SSCI on 22 February 1984. This
memorandum will describe the recommendations resulting from
this meeting concerning how the Agency's testimony should be
structured at this hearing.
3. Counsel informed us that the scheduled hearing will be
conducted in closed session. The Committee intends, however,
to sanitize the hearing transcript so that a public report on
this subject is produced. It was agreed that NSA would testify
Approved For Release 2009/04/21: CIA-RDP86B00338R000300370015-5
 Approved For Release 2009/04/21: CIA-RDP86B00338R000300370015-5
first, and that NSA's presentation would include a short film
which demonstrates how the polygraph machine is operated during
the course of an actual examination. NSA also would provide
information concerning its present polygraph program. CIA next
would testify and, after generally describing its polygraph
program, would present material testifying to the utility of
the polygraph. DOD would be the final agency to appear before
the SSCI and drawing upon the NSA and CIA models, would explain
why and how it intends to expand its present polygraph program.
4. Ms. Toensing and Mr. Sullivan repeatedly emphasized
that the primary focus of the SSCI at the hearing will be the
issue of fairness, and how the rights of individuals required
to take a polygraph examination are protected at various stages
and during the different uses made of the polygraph. They
anticipate that the Agency would initiate their presentation by
describing the present polygraph program, including the
different uses made of the polygraph (i.e., pre-employment
screening, unauthorized leak investigations, periodic
reinvestigation) the procedures which are followed in
administering these various polygraph tests, and the subsequent
use which is made of the record of the polygraph examination.
The Agency, following this initial description of the polygraph
program, would then present ancedotal material concerning
specific cases in which the polygraph elicited critical
information otherwise uncovered by other investigative
techniques. The recently produced SECOM study describing in an
unclassified manner 51 specific cases collected from various
Intelligence Community agencies could be used in this regard.
5. Counsel anticipates that the Agency would be provided
approximately 30 minutes in which to make this presentation.
as head of
Counsel noted that they would expect
E
the Office of Security (OS) to be present at earing and
that an appropriate Agency polygraph expert should accompany
at this hearing.
6. In addition to the above presentation at the
22 February hearing, Counsel also has requested that certain
material be produced for inclusion in the written record which
will be compiled as a result of this hearing. Specifically,
any study conducted by the CIA on the validity or accuracy of
the polygraph was requested to be provided to the Committee.
In addition, the consent form presently used by OS in
conducting polygraph examinations, as well as any written
material describing the procedures that are utilized by
polygraph examiners during the examination also were
requested.
Approved For Release 2009/04/21: CIA-RDP86B00338R000300370015-5
 Approved For Release 2009/04/21: CIA-RDP86B00338R000300370015-5
7. I would like to schedule a meeting with appropriate OS
representatives as soon as possible to discuss the preparation
and drafting of this testimony, the provision of the above
requested materials and which individuals should participate on
behalf of the Agency at the scheduled hearing. I would
appreciate hearing from appropriate OS representatives at their
earliest convenience
DISTRIBUTION:
Original - Each Addressee
- OLL Chrono
LEG File: Polygraphs
1 - SWH Signer
1 - DD/OLL
1 - D/OLL
SWH:csh (10 February 1984)
Approved For Release 2009/04/21: CIA-RDP86B00338R000300370015-5