(MENAFN) The US Department of War is reportedly considering new rules that would require thousands of Pentagon staff to sign non-disclosure agreements and undergo random lie detector tests, according to reports citing draft documents and sources.

The measures, expected to affect roughly 5,000 uniformed and civilian employees in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff, are being advanced by Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg. The proposed NDAs would bar “the release of non-public information without approval or through a defined process,” language similar to that applied to journalists seeking Pentagon credentials.

Polygraph testing is already common in the intelligence community and required for certain security clearances, and the FBI has recently expanded its use, the report noted.

Historically, enforcement of anti-leak rules in Washington has been uneven. Whistleblowers have faced prosecution and long jail terms under the Espionage Act, while senior officials leaking classified material have sometimes received lighter treatment. Former CIA Director David Petraeus, who shared secrets with his biographer, resigned but received only probation and a fine.

Critics suggest the new Pentagon rules could extend beyond protecting classified information, potentially targeting disloyalty to President Donald Trump. One former official described the initiative as “an attempt to cause as much fear in the workplace as possible.”

The report comes shortly after claims by unnamed sources that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth exhibited “a manic quality” and seemed to be “crawling out of his skin.” A Pentagon spokesperson dismissed those claims as “completely false.”

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