The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched a Washington Post reporter's home. The FBI searched the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson early on the 14th (local time) and seized electronic devices including her cellphone, laptop, and smartwatch. The Washington Post criticized the move as "a highly unusual and aggressive act by law enforcement."
According to the New York Times (NYT) and the British Guardian that day, the search was carried out as part of a federal investigation related to allegations that an employee of a private contractor working with the government illegally possessed classified government materials. Investigators raided Natanson's home in connection with the case. According to an internal email from Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray obtained by the Guardian, investigators searched the home without prior notice and seized electronic devices. Murray said the move "raises serious questions about newsgathering and protections guaranteed by the Constitution."
Former Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron said in an interview with the Guardian, "This search is a clear signal that the current administration will not place limits on aggressive actions against an independent press," adding, "The independence of the press and the protection of sources could be seriously undermined." Murray said, "Neither the newspaper nor Natanson was notified in advance that they were subjects of a Ministry of Justice investigation."
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the search was carried out by the Ministry of Justice and the FBI at the request of the Ministry of National Defense. She said the location where the warrant was executed was the home of a Washington Post reporter who had obtained and reported classified information from a defense contractor. She said the person who leaked the classified materials is currently in custody. However, she did not disclose the specific circumstances of the search or details of the investigation.
According to the Washington Post, investigators searched the reporter's home and belongings and seized a Garmin watch, a cellphone, and two laptop computers. One of the laptops was owned by the employer. Investigators told Natanson that she was not the focus of the investigation and was not facing criminal charges.
The direct target of the investigation at first was not the reporter but an employee of a private contractor who allegedly illegally kept classified documents. According to the warrant obtained by the Washington Post, Maryland systems administrator Aurelio Perez-Lugones, who held a top-secret clearance, was investigated on suspicion of accessing classified intelligence reports and taking them home. According to an FBI affidavit, the investigation proceeded based on his lunch bag, which appeared to have been used to remove papers, and documents found in a basement. However, the criminal complaint did not include a charge of leaking classified information.
Press groups strongly condemned the search. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said, "A physical search of a reporter's home, devices, and belongings is among the most invasive investigative tactics law enforcement can undertake." The Knight First Amendment Institute, which litigates constitutional cases related to free expression, called on the Ministry of Justice to publicly explain why the search was necessary and whether it was legally permissible. PEN America, an organization that protects press and free expression, said, "This action could intimidate sources and chill the press's reporting in the public interest."