Since the 1980s the American Psychological Association (APA) has had a unique relationship with Senator Daniel Inouye’s office. For nearly twenty five years, psychologist Patrick Deleon, Sen. Inouye’s top assistant was APA’s man on Capitol Hill who effectively lobbied on behalf of the APA for increased funding for research, training and employment (mainly in the VA) for psychologists.

Deleon promoted “evidence-based practice” (APA’s preferred psychotherapy guidelines), which is contradicted by overwhelming research demonstrating that all therapies result in comparable outcomes.  “Evidence-based practice” has been shown to be a myth perpetuated by the APA in its effort to control psychotherapeutic practice and insurance reimbursement.  (Geoff Gray. Weaponizing Psychology, CounterPunch, Dec., 2014)

Inouye was an enormously powerful senator from Hawaii for 48 years. In the 1970s Inouye was Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and then became Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which makes up the largest chunk of federal discretionary spending. The appropriations committee covers not only all of the armed forces but the CIA as well. Inouye controlled the military purse strings which made him very influential with the military brass.

Patrick Deleon was active in the APA and served a term as the organization’s president in 2000. For significant periods of time DeLeon has literally directed APA staff on federal policy matters and dominated the APA governance on political matters. For over twenty-five years, relationships between the APA and the Department of Defense (DOD) have been strongly encouraged and closely coordinated by DeLeon.

Inouye himself has served as an apologist for the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp (“Gitmo”) since the inception of the War on Terror. In a press briefing at the U.S. State Department, held shortly after his trip to Gitmo in February of 2002, Inouye echoed Rumsfeld’s propaganda, remarking: “Watching our men and women treat these detainees was rather impressive. They would go out of their way to be considerate. …”  (Welch. Psychology’s Role in Torture, Huffington Post, 2009)

Investigative journalists have reported about the long working relationship between the APA and CIA in consulting, testing, developing, overseeing “enhanced interrogation techniques” (i.e., torture). In particular the extended use of sensory deprivation, hallucinogenic drugs such as, LSD and mescaline, and numerous methods of breaking down the mind and the body of prisoners.
(Jane Mayer. The New Yorker, 2005; Jeffrey Kay. Daily Kos, 2007; Katherine Eban. Vanity Fair, 2007)