Agents with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided the home of a Washington Post reporter this week as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of leaking classified information, officials said. In a post on X, US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that agents had searched the home of a journalist who allegedly was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor. The contractor has been arrested.
The Washington Post identified the journalist as Hannah Natanson, who has been reporting on the Trump administration's significant alterations to the federal workforce. Natanson was present at her home in Virginia during the FBI's search on Wednesday, where officials confiscated her phone, a work and personal computer, and a Garmin watch.
Though Natanson was informed she was not the focus of the investigation, the probe centers on Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland system administrator possessing top-secret security clearance. According to an FBI affidavit, Perez-Lugones accessed and printed classified intelligence reports, with classified materials reportedly found in a lunch box discovered in his car. He faces charges of unlawful retention of national defense information and is set to appear in court soon.
Bondi asserted that 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.
The search of Natanson's home has triggered alarm among advocates for press freedom. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, emphasized the need for scrutiny regarding searches targeting journalists, noting the potential deterrent effects on crucial reporting that supports democracy.
Previously, Natanson had reported on significant changes in federal employment practices since Trump's return to office, gathering insights from over 1,000 sources within government agencies on layoffs and changes implemented under the administration.
In a move that has stirred controversy, Bondi also revoked Biden-era policies designed to protect journalists from government scrutiny related to their phone records and testimonies in leak investigations.
The Washington Post identified the journalist as Hannah Natanson, who has been reporting on the Trump administration's significant alterations to the federal workforce. Natanson was present at her home in Virginia during the FBI's search on Wednesday, where officials confiscated her phone, a work and personal computer, and a Garmin watch.
Though Natanson was informed she was not the focus of the investigation, the probe centers on Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland system administrator possessing top-secret security clearance. According to an FBI affidavit, Perez-Lugones accessed and printed classified intelligence reports, with classified materials reportedly found in a lunch box discovered in his car. He faces charges of unlawful retention of national defense information and is set to appear in court soon.
Bondi asserted that 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.
The search of Natanson's home has triggered alarm among advocates for press freedom. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, emphasized the need for scrutiny regarding searches targeting journalists, noting the potential deterrent effects on crucial reporting that supports democracy.
Previously, Natanson had reported on significant changes in federal employment practices since Trump's return to office, gathering insights from over 1,000 sources within government agencies on layoffs and changes implemented under the administration.
In a move that has stirred controversy, Bondi also revoked Biden-era policies designed to protect journalists from government scrutiny related to their phone records and testimonies in leak investigations.
