- FBI searched the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson Wednesday over a Pentagon leak investigation
- Natanson’s phone, two laptops, and a Garmin watch were seized during the search
- Natanson has extensively covered Trump’s federal government restructuring and gained hundreds of new sources
FBI agents searched the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on Wednesday as part of a leak investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of taking classified information home, the Justice Department said. According to the Post, agents seized Natanson’s phone, two laptops, and a Garmin watch. Natanson has extensively covered President Donald Trump’s restructuring of the federal government and recently published a story highlighting her hundreds of new sources, earning her the nickname “the federal government whisperer” from colleagues.
While investigations into classified documents are not uncommon, the search of a journalist’s home represents a significant escalation in the government’s efforts to combat leaks. The Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, emphasized that neither Natanson nor the newspaper are targets of the investigation. “Nonetheless, this extraordinary, aggressive action is deeply concerning and raises profound questions about constitutional protections for our work,” Murray said. “The Washington Post has a long history of defending press freedoms, and the entire institution stands by those principles.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the search was conducted at the Defense Department’s request, claiming that the reporter had been “obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the sentiment on X, stating that “leaking classified information puts America’s national security and the safety of our military heroes in serious jeopardy” and that the Trump administration would continue to “aggressively crack down” on such acts.
The search warrant is connected to an investigation into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland-based system engineer and IT specialist for a government contractor, who allegedly took classified materials home. Perez-Lugones, charged earlier this month with unlawful retention of national defense information, has not been accused of sharing or leaking classified materials. Court documents indicate that he printed secret and sensitive reports at work and that authorities discovered classified documents, including one in a lunchbox, during searches of his home and car.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment, and The Washington Post said it is monitoring the situation. Perez-Lugones is expected to appear in court Thursday for a detention hearing.
Press freedom advocates have raised concerns about the search, warning that such actions could have a chilling effect on investigative journalism. “Physical searches of reporters’ devices, homes, and belongings are some of the most invasive steps law enforcement can take,” said Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “This represents a significant escalation in intrusions on press independence.”
Over the years, the Justice Department has developed internal policies to guide its response to leaks involving the media. In April, Bondi rescinded a policy from the Biden administration that had protected journalists from having their phone records secretly seized during leak investigations—a practice widely criticized by news organizations. The revised policy restored prosecutors’ authority to use subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants to investigate unauthorized disclosures to journalists, while emphasizing that press members are “presumptively entitled to advance notice” and that warrants should minimize intrusion into newsgathering activities.
Observers noted that the aggressive action against The Washington Post contrasts with the Justice Department’s handling of a sensitive military information leak last spring involving a Signal chat with senior Trump officials, in which a reporter was mistakenly added. At the time, Bondi indicated she was unlikely to pursue an investigation, asserting that the leaked information was not classified, though some officials disagreed.
