A class of Polyakov-loop-modified Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) models have been used to support a conjecture that numerical simulations of lattice-regularized quantum chromodynamics (QCD) defined with a chiral chemical potential can provide information about the existence and location of a critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram drawn in the plane spanned by baryon chemical potential and temperature. That conjecture is challenged by conflicts between the model results and analyses of the same problem using simulations of lattice-regularized QCD (lQCD) and wellconstrained Dyson-Schwinger equation (DSE) studies. We find the conflict is resolved in favor of the lQCD and DSE predictions when both a physically-motivated regularization is employed to suppress the contribution of high-momentum quark modes in the definition of the effective potential connected with the PNJL models and the four-fermion coupling in those models does not react strongly to changes in the mean-field that is assumed to mock-up Polyakov loop dynamics. With the lQCD and DSE predictions thus confirmed, it seems unlikely that simulations of lQCD with µ5 > 0 can shed any light on a critical endpoint in the regular QCD phase diagram.PACS numbers: 12.38. Mh, 25.75.Nq, 12.38.Aw I. Introduction. One of the most basic questions in the Standard Model refers to unfolding the state of stronglyinteracting matter at extreme temperature and density: the former existed shortly after the Big-Bang and the latter is thought to exist in the core of compact astrophysical objects. Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is supposed to provide the answer, which hinges on the existence and interplay between color confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking (DCSB), two emergent phenomena whose domains of persistence and disappearance characterize a potentially very rich phase structure. Confinement is most simply defined empirically: those degrees-of-freedom used in defining the QCD Lagrangian (gluons and quarks) do not exist as asymptotic states, i.e. these partonic excitations do not propagate with integrity over length-scales that exceed some modest fraction of the proton's radius. The forces responsible for confinement appear to generate more than 98% of the mass of visible matter [1,2]. This is DCSB, a quantum field theoretical effect that is expressed and explained via, inter alia, the appearance of momentum-dependent massfunctions for quarks [3][4][5][6] and gluons [7][8][9][10][11][12], and helicityflipping terms in quark-gauge-boson vertices [13][14][15][16][17][18], all in the absence of any Higgs-like mechanism.Owing to the complexity of strong interaction theory, attempts are often made to develop insights concerning confinement, DCSB, and the associated phase diagram in