DHS Clears Seven CISA Staffers While Agency's Former Acting Director Fails Polygraph

The Department of Homeland Security has cleared seven CISA staffers of wrongdoing, while separately, CISA's former acting director Madhu Gottumukkala failed a polygraph examination arranged by those same staffers, Politico reports via Techmeme. The dual outcome reflects the ongoing internal turmoil at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency following significant leadership and staffing disruptions. CISA has been at the center of political controversy over its role in election security and disinformation monitoring. The cleared staffers had arranged the polygraph as part of an internal accountability process. Their exoneration alongside the acting director's polygraph failure adds a new dimension to the agency's already complicated internal politics at a time when its ability to function as the federal government's civilian cybersecurity lead is under scrutiny.