Reading Room Document

Application of State Law to CIA's Proposed Administration of Polygraph Examinations to Its Contractors' Employees (III)

This document is a memorandum opinion for the General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency regarding the Industrial Polygraph Program. The conclusion reached is that the State of Massachusetts may not interfere with the CIA's contractors if the administration of the polygraph test to each included category of employees is reviewed carefully by CIA officials and determined necessary to protect sensitive information. The document presents questions for review regarding the conflict between the CIA's Industrial Polygraph Program and a Massachusetts statute penalizing employers who require employees to take polygraph tests, as well as the legitimacy of the CIA's determination that the program is necessary to protect sensitive information.

December 28, 1979