Kash Patel forced polygraph tests on more than a dozen staff as 'paranoia' grips FBI chief

By ELINA SHIRAZI, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 18:07, 8 May 2026 | Updated: 18:08, 8 May 2026 FBI Director Kash Patel is being described by staff as being in 'full panic mode,' requesting polygraph tests for more than 20 past and present members of his security detail and several information technology staff. The bombshell report comes as Patel's future in Trump's inner orbit remains uncertain after a series of scathing reports into his alleged drinking habits.  He currently faces rumors of an impending dismissal by the Republican President after ex-Attorney General Pam Bondi's sudden firing last month. As a result of a series of negative press articles about his conduct, Patel hopes to find and eliminate any leakers on his team, two people briefed on the plans allege. The FBI lead is also reportedly avoiding meetings this week, including several leaders in the bureau, sources tell MS Now. The FBI director reportedly ordered polygraph examinations for his travel team and staff with access to sensitive information to determine if they have communicated with reporters, according to sources who requested anonymity to avoid professional retribution. The demand for lie-detector tests follows a report by MS Now that Director Patel ordered a criminal leak investigation into a story published by The Atlantic last month. That article described Patel as drinking to excess and being 'difficult to rouse' the following morning. Sources told MS Now that FBI agents were worried about opening the probe, which involved examining the contacts of a reporter who was gathering evidence for their story.  Ultimately, the agents believed the investigation couldn't be justified, and they were worried he would retaliate if they didn't follow their orders. Patel has launched a defamation suit against The Atlantic after the magazine alleged he suffered from 'unexplained absences' and 'inebriation' Patel discusses the latest at the FBI with Fox News host Sean Hannity In an appearance on Sean Hannity's podcast this Tuesday, the 46-year-old FBI lead didn't just stick to standard law enforcement talk A person familiar with another incident months ago told MS Now that dozens of agents were also forced to take polygraph tests after reports that were made public about Patel requesting to get a gun.  That report was sent to Quantico.  A spokesperson for Patel is pushing back on the 'false' narrative that the director is panicked about keeping his job behind the scenes.  'The only people in panic are the 'panicans' in the media pushing out false stories because they spend zero time covering the record-breaking success in reduction in crime at this FBI,' Williamson added. On social media, the director pushed back against his detractors, dismissing the criticism as 'baseless' and pledging to remain 'laser-focused' on his goal of 'rebuilding this Bureau from the ground up.' Patel has launched a defamation suit against The Atlantic after the magazine alleged he suffered from 'unexplained absences' and 'inebriation.' He has strongly denied these reports, which have added to the building scrutiny he faced earlier this month. Patel, who used to be one of the FBI's most vocal critics, has set about remaking the bureau, including firing senior agents and reassigning others. When he began his tenure, he promised a 'wave of transparency,' including on the investigation into the possible ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Back in July of last year, Patel revealed a discovery of a stash of documents sealed away in 'burn bags' in a secret room of the bureau. Patel has launched a defamation suit against The Atlantic after the magazine alleged he suffered from 'unexplained absences' and 'inebriation' FBI Director Kash Patel is being described by staff as being in 'full panic mode,' requesting polygraph tests for more than 20 past and present members of his security detail and several information technology staff The documents consist of the classified annex to former Special Counsel John Durham's final report on the origins of the FBI investigation into Donald Trump's original campaign, which includes the underlying intelligence he reviewed, a spokesperson for the FBI told the Daily Mail. Durham examined the FBI's investigation into potential links between Trump campaign officials and Russia during the 2016 election and concluded the FBI should have not launched the investigation given the evidence it had at the time. A person familiar with the discovery speculated to the Daily Mail that it was likely an oversight by previous directors that prevented the documents from being destroyed. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 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