Executive Summary
- FBI agents searched the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, seizing a phone and a watch.
- The probe is linked to Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a government contractor charged with unlawfully retaining classified documents.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the search was requested by the Pentagon to address illegal leaks.
- The operation follows revised DOJ guidelines that allow prosecutors to target journalists’ records in leak investigations.
Federal agents executed a search warrant at the Virginia residence of Washington Post journalist Hannah Natanson on Wednesday, seizing electronic devices in connection with an ongoing investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified national defense information. The operation marks a significant escalation in the government’s efforts to identify sources of leaked intelligence.
According to reports from the Washington Post, the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized a mobile phone and a Garmin watch belonging to Natanson. An affidavit filed in support of the warrant indicates the search is directly linked to the prosecution of Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland-based system administrator. Perez-Lugones was charged earlier this month with the unlawful retention of national defense information.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the operation was conducted at the specific request of the Pentagon. In a statement posted to the social media platform X, Bondi affirmed the administration’s stance on information security. She declared that President Trump’s 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."
Court documents allege that Perez-Lugones, who possessed a top-secret security clearance, removed classified and sensitive reports from his workplace. During a search of his Maryland home and vehicle earlier this month, authorities reportedly discovered documents marked "SECRET," including one located inside a lunchbox. Natanson had recently published detailed accounts regarding the transformation of the federal government under President Trump, relying on hundreds of sources.
The search highlights a definitive shift in Department of Justice policy regarding the news media. In April, Attorney General Bondi issued new guidelines rescinding a Biden administration policy that had restricted the seizure of journalists’ records during leak investigations. The revised directives restore the authority of prosecutors to utilize subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants against reporters to identify government officials responsible for unauthorized disclosures.
Constitutional and Legal Implications
The execution of a search warrant against a working journalist establishes a critical precedent regarding the balance between First Amendment protections and national security interests under the current Department of Justice guidelines. This action demonstrates a rigorous application of the revised policy which prioritizes the prosecution of leaks over the procedural shields previously afforded to the press. As the case against the alleged source proceeds, legal observers will likely scrutinize the evidentiary scope of the warrant used to seize the reporter’s communications equipment. It is important to note that Aurelio Perez-Lugones remains presumed innocent of all charges until proven guilty in a court of law.
