Disclosure of fired general's polygraph may have violated privacy laws
Summary
The Pentagon removed Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from his Joint Staff post amid an investigation into alleged leaks of classified information. A Pentagon official’s statement that Sylvia failed three polygraph tests may have violated the federal Privacy Act, according to legal experts; the Pentagon did not respond to questions, and CBS News could not independently verify the leak allegations.Key Facts
- Sylvia served as director of strategy, plans and policy for the Joint Staff, known as the J5.
- A Pentagon official said Sylvia failed three polygraph examinations and accused him of leaking classified information about Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war.
- The official described Sylvia’s removal as related to severe misconduct and said the investigation had been referred to the Justice Department.
- The Privacy Act of 1974 generally restricts federal agencies from disclosing certain personal information in government records without consent or legal authorization.
- Attorney Brad Moss said public disclosure of polygraph results and related file details could violate the Privacy Act; courts have found that verbal disclosures can also be covered.
- CBS News said it could not independently verify the allegations, and the Pentagon did not respond to its questions about the disclosure.
- Two Pentagon sources told CBS News the firing was related to polygraph tests but disputed the accusation that Sylvia leaked classified information.
- Axios reported that an internal investigation report said Sylvia admitted leaking classified information to two reporters, but CBS News said it had not seen or verified that report.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
