Attempt to Beat Polygraph

SECURITY CLEARANCE Q&A
1

@Marko, can you provide a link to the administrative judge’s written decision in this case?

https://www.clearancejobsblog.com/attempt-to-beat-polygraph-results-in-security-clearance-denial/

2

The DOHA site is down right now so will have to wait to get the link.

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3

I’m pretty sure I’ve found the link, which hopefully in the near future will again be reachable:

https://ogc.osd.mil/doha/industrial/2019/18-01656.h1.pdf

In the meantime, Google’s cache is available here:

4

I’ve read the section on the applicant’s use of countermeasures. The applicant:

…admitted that he was “breathing faster and kind of tricked [himself] into being scared” during the control questions.

In this respect, it’s worth noting that breathing more rapidly is highly inadvisable as a polygraph countermeasure because it is not a scorable reaction on the polygraph charts. The applicant compounded his problems by “admitt[ing] to the polygrapher that he was trying to manipulate the polygraph test through fast breathing.” Any such admission will never have a happy outcome, as the present case illustrates.

I wouldn’t, however, characterize this case, as our moderator has, as an “attempt to beat the polygraph.” The applicant made no such admission. Rather, the applicant:

…believed he was helping the polygrapher receive an accurate test result through his enhancement of his responses to the control questions.

5

I disagree…the case summary specifically stated this verbatim:

He admitted to the polygrapher that he was trying to manipulate the polygraph test
through fast breathing. (Tr. 45) He subsequently told an Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) investigator that he wanted his answers to the control questions to “light up like a
Christmas tree.” (Tr. 43) He admitted that he intentionally attempted to manipulate the
polygraph-test results. (Tr. 44)

6

I completely agree that the applicant deliberately attempted to (and surely did) manipulate the chart tracings. Where I differ from you is in characterizing that as an attempt to “beat” the polygraph. To me, that implies that he was trying pass the polygraph while lying to one or more of the relevant questions. The judge’s ruling makes no such allegation.

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