United States news agencies and press freedom groups have expressed concern after federal agents raided the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of an investigation into its handling of classified material.
Wednesday’s raid focused on the residence of reporter Hannah Natanson, who has led the Post’s coverage of efforts to reduce the federal workforce under President Donald Trump.
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Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized her work and personal laptop, as well as other electronics such as her phone and Garmin watch.
“Pursuant to a government warrant, the raid was in connection with an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally possessing classified government material. We have been told Hanna and the Post are not the target,” Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray said.
“Nevertheless, this extraordinary, aggressive action is deeply concerning and raises profound questions and concerns around constitutional protections for our work.”
Free press organizations echoed the Post’s concerns, arguing that the raids fit into a pattern of increasing pressure on journalists who don’t want the government to make information public.
Trump has repeatedly attacked the news media and threatened those deemed too serious with lawsuits and investigations.
Still, law enforcement’s seizure of material by a journalist is unusual, given the broad press freedom protections established under the US Constitution. Advocates warned that Wednesday’s actions could undermine any efforts by journalists to report on whistleblower complaints.
According to the Post, the search warrant was part of an investigation into one of Trump’s pet peeves, leaks of classified material.
Prosecutors allege that a contractor named Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a systems engineer and information technology specialist, took screenshots of intelligence reports while working for a government contractor in Maryland and printed them.
Investigators also said they found classified documents in a lunchbox during a search of his car and basement earlier this month.
The Trump administration accused Perez-Lugones of contacting Natanson to leak information and said the search of her home came at the request of the Defense Department.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post, “The Department of Justice and the FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post reporter who was obtaining and reporting on classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor.” Post.
She added that a “leaker” — an apparent reference to Perez-Lugones — had been arrested.
“The Trump administration will not tolerate the illegal leak of classified information that poses a grave threat to our nation’s national security and the brave men and women who serve our country,” she said.
White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt also weighed in, writing Online that Trump had “zero tolerance” for leaks and would “aggressively crack down”.
But press advocates argue that working with whistleblowers is an essential component of reporting on secretive government agencies, especially in areas like national security.
Raids such as the raid on Natanson’s residence violate the sense of anonymity that journalists have with their sources, particularly those in sensitive government positions.
Natanson has extensively covered the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce and push partisan employees to align with their political agenda.
She has also reported on recent US actions in Venezuela, which resulted in the January 3 kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.
Groups such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) were vocal against search warrants.
“This raid should trouble all Americans. The United States is at a critical juncture as the Trump administration rolls back civil liberties,” said Kathryn Jacobsen, coordinator for the US, Canada and the Caribbean at CPJ.
“The use of the FBI – funded by American taxpayers – to seize a journalist’s electronic equipment, including her official work laptop, is a clear violation of journalistic protections and undermines the public’s right to know.”