FBI conducts raid on Washington Post reporter’s home, seizes electronics

Press freedom groups warn that the warrant to search reporter Hannah Natanson’s home establishes a dangerous precedent.

United States news agencies and press freedom groups have expressed concern after federal agents raided the home of a reporter for The Washington Post as part of a probe into the handling of classified material.

Wednesday’s raid focused on the residence of journalist Hannah Natanson, who has led the Post’s coverage of efforts under President Donald Trump to slash the federal workforce.

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Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized her work and personal laptops, as well as other electronics like her phone and a Garmin watch.

“According to the government warrant, the raid was in connection with an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials. We are told Hannah, and the Post, are not a target,” said Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray.

“Nonetheless, this extraordinary, aggressive action is deeply concerning and raises profound questions and concern around the constitutional protections for our work.”

Free press organisations echoed the Post’s concerns, arguing that the raid fit into a pattern of escalating pressure on journalists who report on information the government does not want made public.

Trump has frequently attacked the news media and threatened those he deems too critical with lawsuits and investigations.

Still, it is unusual for law enforcement to seize materials from a journalist, given the broad press freedom protections established under the US Constitution. Advocates warned that Wednesday’s actions could dampen any efforts journalists may take to report on whistleblower complaints.

According to the Post, the search warrant was part of an investigation into leaks of classified materials, another one of Trump’s pet peeves.

Prosecutors allege that a contractor named Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a system engineer and information technology specialist, took screenshots of intelligence reports and printed them while working for a government contractor in Maryland.

Investigators also say they found classified documents in a lunchbox while searching his car and basement earlier this month.

The Trump administration accused Perez-Lugones of contacting Natanson to leak the information and said the search of her home came at the request of the Department of Defense.

“The Department of Justice and FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post journalist who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post.

She added that “the leaker” – an apparent reference to Perez-Lugones – had been arrested.

“The Trump Administration will not tolerate illegal leaks of classified information that, when reported, pose a grave risk to our Nation’s national security and the brave men and women who are serving our country,” she said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also weighed in, writing online that Trump had “zero tolerance” for leaks and would “aggressively crack down” on them.

But press advocates argue that working with whistleblowers is an essential component of reporting on secretive government agencies, especially in areas such as national security.

Raids like the one conducted at Natanson’s residence risk violating the understanding of anonymity that journalists build with their sources, particularly those in sensitive government positions.

Natanson had extensively covered the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce and push for nonpartisan employees to align with his political agenda.

She has also reported on recent US actions in Venezuela, which culminated with the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro on January 3.

Groups like Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) were among those to speak out against the search warrant.

“This raid should disturb all Americans. The United States is at a critical juncture as the Trump administration continues to roll back civil liberties,” said Katherine Jacobsen, coordinator for the US, Canada and the Caribbean at the CPJ.

“Using the FBI – funded by American taxpayers – to seize a reporter’s electronic devices, including her official work laptop, is a blatant violation of journalistic protections and undermines the public’s right to know.”