FBI Searches Washington Post Reporter’s Home in Leak Probe, Raising Press-Freedom Concerns
FBI agents searched Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home in a leak probe tied to a contractor, seizing devices and prompting legal and press-freedom challenges.
Overview
FBI agents executed a search warrant at Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s Alexandria home, confiscating her phone, two computers and a smartwatch early Wednesday morning.
The raid was linked by DOJ to Pentagon contractor Aurelio Perez-Lugones, charged with unlawfully retaining classified records; prosecutors allege he stored and printed secret materials.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s 2025 rollback of DOJ limits on seeking reporter records restored warrants and subpoenas, drawing criticism that it invites aggressive investigative tactics.
Newsrooms, press advocates and the Reporters Committee called the search unprecedented and alarming, filing to unseal DOJ applications and warning of chilling effects on confidential sources.
Government says Natanson is not a target; media lawyers say courts protect newsgathering but norms are eroding, raising questions about Espionage Act applications.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the FBI search as an alarming escalation that raises First Amendment and press‑freedom concerns by foregrounding legal experts’ warnings, quoting press‑freedom groups, and highlighting policy rollbacks. They treat government statements (Bondi/DOJ) as source content while emphasizing the unusualness of searching a journalist’s home and historical norms.
Sources (28)
FAQ
Hannah Natanson is a Washington Post reporter covering President Trump’s reshaping of the federal government, previously education; she contributed to the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service on January 6 coverage and won a 2024 George Foster Peabody Award for a podcast on school gun violence.
FBI agents seized her phone, two laptops (one belonging to her employer), and a Garmin smartwatch.
The search relates to a federal investigation into Pentagon contractor Aurelio Perez-Lugones, accused of unlawfully retaining and printing classified documents marked 'SECRET' from secure areas.
The government states that Natanson is not a target of the investigation.
Press advocates call the search unprecedented, warning of chilling effects on sources and newsgathering; it follows AG Pam Bondi’s 2025 rollback of DOJ limits on reporter records, criticized for enabling aggressive tactics.
History
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