2:56The seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is displayed on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, on July 12th, 2024. Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
According to the newspaper, the FBI carried out a search at the residence of a Washington Post reporter on Wednesday morning, looking for purported classified materials.
The journalist, Hannah Natanson, was at her Virginia home when FBI agents arrived to execute the search warrant, as reported by the newspaper.
Agents confiscated a mobile phone, two laptops – one of which was provided by the Washington Post – and a Garmin watch, according to the report.
The seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is displayed on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, on July 12th, 2024. Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Investigators informed Natanson that the warrant was part of an ongoing inquiry into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, the newspaper reported. Perez-Lugones, identified in an FBI affidavit as a government contractor, was charged in federal court in Maryland last week for allegedly unlawfully retaining national defense information, according to the affidavit.
Natanson was told by investigators that she is not the target of the investigation, as the newspaper noted, adding that she “covers the federal workforce.”
The FBI did not reply to an ABC News inquiry regarding the search. However, FBI Director Kash Patel stated in a social media post on Wednesday that the FBI “executed a search warrant of an individual at the Washington Post who was reportedly obtaining and reporting classified, sensitive military information from a government contractor – jeopardizing our warfighters and compromising America’s national security. The alleged leaker was arrested this week and is in custody.”
"At the request of the Department of War, the Department of Justice and FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post journalist who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor. The leaker is currently in custody," Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X Wednesday morning.
Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 5, 2026, in Washington, to brief top lawmakers following President Donald Trump’s directive for U.S. forces to apprehend Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Jacquelyn Martin/AP
"I am honored to collaborate with Secretary Hegseth on this initiative. The Trump Administration will not accept illegal leaks of classified information that, when disclosed, represent a serious threat to our Nation’s national security and the courageous individuals serving our country," Bondi’s statement continued.
The news of the search prompted immediate responses from press advocacy groups.
"Physical searches of reporters’ devices, residences, and personal effects are among the most intrusive investigative actions law enforcement can undertake," the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press remarked in a statement, describing the search as “a significant escalation in the administration’s encroachments on the independence of the press.”
"While key details are still unfolding, it is exceptionally rare – and deeply concerning – for law enforcement to search a journalist’s home and confiscate reporting materials. This action signifies a considerable escalation in investigative tactics and one that should alarm anyone who upholds a free and independent press," the National Press Club stated on Wednesday.
"The government has a valid obligation to safeguard classified information. However, that obligation does not override the constitutional protections that enable journalists to perform their duties on behalf of the public," the National Press Club statement continued. "When those protections appear to be in jeopardy, it is an issue that the nation should take with utmost seriousness."
Sourse: abcnews.go.com