DHS Denies Report that Acting CISA Director Failed Polygraph Test Amid Agency Turmoil

The Department of Homeland Security is vigorously disputing reports that acting Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Madhu Gottumukkala failed a polygraph test while seeking access to highly classified intelligence. The controversy has emerged amid an internal investigation that has led to the suspension of multiple career cybersecurity officials, deepening tensions within the agency.

According to Politico, Gottumukkala allegedly pushed for access to a tightly restricted intelligence program that required a counter-intelligence polygraph, with at least six career staffers later placed on paid administrative leave for allegedly misleading leadership about this requirement. The report cited interviews with twelve current and former cybersecurity officials who requested anonymity due to concerns about potential retaliation.

DHS officials have pushed back forcefully against these claims. “Acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala did not fail a sanctioned polygraph test. An unsanctioned polygraph test was coordinated by staff, misleading incoming CISA leadership,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. “The employees in question were placed on administrative leave, pending conclusion of an investigation.”

The controversy centers around access to one of the government’s most sensitive intelligence programs. According to Politico’s sources, the intelligence was part of a controlled access program with strict distribution limits. The originating intelligence agency reportedly required any CISA personnel granted need-to-know access to first pass a counter-intelligence polygraph.

Unlike personnel in the Pentagon or intelligence community agencies, most CISA employees do not require access to such highly classified material or undergo polygraph tests as a condition of employment. The agency primarily focuses on civilian cybersecurity threats and infrastructure protection.

Sources told Politico that senior staff had raised questions on at least two occasions about whether Gottumukkala actually needed access to the intelligence. Despite being advised that access to the sensitive material wasn’t essential to his job responsibilities and that lower-classification alternatives were available, Gottumukkala reportedly continued pursuing access to the program.

According to the report, an initial access request in early June, signed by mid-level CISA staff, was denied by a senior agency official who determined there was no urgent need-to-know and noted that the agency’s previous deputy director had never viewed the program. After that senior official was placed on administrative leave for unrelated reasons in late June, a second access request signed by Gottumukkala was reportedly approved in early July.

The officials interviewed by Politico noted they couldn’t definitively explain why Gottumukkala allegedly did not pass the July polygraph and cautioned that failures can occur for innocuous reasons such as anxiety or technical errors. Polygraph results are generally not admissible in U.S. courts due to reliability concerns.

On August 1, shortly after the polygraph test, at least six career staff involved in scheduling and approving the test were notified that their access to classified national security information was being temporarily suspended. According to a letter reviewed by Politico, then-acting DHS Chief Security Officer Michael Boyajian cited “information received by this office that you may have participated in providing false information to the acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) regarding the existence of a requirement for a polygraph examination prior to accessing certain programs.”

The letter continued: “The above allegation shows deliberate or negligent failure to follow policies that protect government information, which raises concerns regarding an individual’s trustworthiness, judgment, reliability or willingness and ability to safeguard classified information.”

In a separate letter dated August 4, the suspended employees were informed by Acting CISA Chief Human Capital Officer Kevin Diana that they had been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.

Gottumukkala was appointed CISA deputy director in May after serving as commissioner and chief information officer for South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology. According to CISA, he brings more than two decades of experience in information technology and cybersecurity across both public and private sectors to the role.

DHS maintains that “Acting Director Gottumukkala has the complete and full support of the Secretary and is laser focused on returning the agency to its statutory mission.”