WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — FBI Director Kash Patel is facing sharp questions after granting rare polygraph waivers to Deputy Director Dan Bongino and two senior staff members. The waivers allowed all three to access some of the nation’s most sensitive classified information without completing standard security screening. Current and former officials say the move breaks long-standing FBI protocol and raises serious national security concerns.
Patel granted the waivers to Bongino, congressional liaison Marshall Yates, and personal assistant Nicole Rucker, according to officials with direct knowledge of the matter. The FBI requires nearly all employees to undergo a polygraph exam before receiving a Top Secret clearance or access to sensitive compartmented information, known as SCI.
Polygraphs help identify potential security risks, including foreign contacts, drug use, and past handling of classified material. Applicants who produce inconclusive results normally retake the exam the next day. Officials familiar with FBI policy said it is extremely rare for senior leaders to receive waivers after an examiner flags concerns.
Bongino joined the FBI as the second-highest-ranking official despite having no prior experience at the bureau. His position gives him access to some of the government’s most closely guarded intelligence, including the President’s Daily Brief.
Before his appointment, Bongino served in the Secret Service and later built a national media presence in conservative circles. He often criticized the FBI and promoted false claims about the 2020 election. His tenure at the bureau has been turbulent, marked by clashes with Cabinet officials and accusations — which he denied — that he leaked sensitive information.
ProPublica reported that it could not confirm whether Bongino took a polygraph or what the results were. A former senior FBI official said a waiver is usually a sign of failed or inconclusive results, though occasional preemptive waivers are possible.
The FBI strongly pushed back on claims that the officials failed their exams. Agency spokesperson Ben Williamson said the report was “riddled with falsehoods” and insisted that the FBI follows all personnel security laws. He declined to specify which parts of the report were inaccurate.
Legal experts told ProPublica that being a political appointee — known as a Schedule C employee — does not exempt someone from the FBI’s polygraph requirement. The bureau’s own guidelines say all employees must pass a background check and polygraph exam before receiving a Top Secret clearance.
A veteran employee inside the FBI Security Division filed a formal complaint this year alleging the waivers violated bureau policy. The division handles all employee polygraphs and evaluates clearance eligibility. The complaint was also shared with the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General, sources said.
Former officials said they could not recall a similar situation involving someone in a senior leadership role. One former executive said that during his tenure, anyone who failed a polygraph would be removed from classified work until the issue was resolved.
The administration has removed more than 50 career FBI employees since January, including counterterrorism and intelligence experts. Patel defended the firings as constitutional, but several affected employees said they were pushed out for political reasons.
Sen. Dick Durbin raised concerns during Patel’s Senate testimony in September. He said reliable sources told him senior FBI officials had “disqualifying alerts” on their polygraphs and remained in place only because of waivers granted by Patel or Attorney General Pam Bondi. Patel declined to answer the questions during the hearing.
Rucker and Yates joined the FBI with heavy political ties and no previous bureau experience. Yates previously led an organization that attempted to overturn the 2020 election. Rucker once worked for Trump adviser Stephen Miller and later served as Patel’s personal assistant.
Both now hold SCI clearances, granting access to some of the most sensitive intelligence programs. Rucker even joined Patel on a recent foreign trip to London, where she attended a high-level meeting with an allied intelligence partner.
The FBI began requiring polygraph exams for all employees in 1994. The test remains controversial, but federal agencies still use it to protect national security. Former officials warn that waiving such requirements for top leaders could expose sensitive information to unnecessary risk.
Durbin, in a statement, called the reported waivers “deeply alarming” and said they raise urgent questions about the integrity of FBI leadership. The FBI, Patel, Bongino, Yates, and Rucker did not respond to direct questions about the waivers.
