FBI searched home of Washington Post reporter, newspaper says

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI agents searched a Washington Post reporter's home on Wednesday as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of taking home government secrets, the newspaper reported.

The FBI searched journalist Hannah Natanson's devices and seized a phone and a Garmin watch at her Virginia home, the Post said. Natanson covers the Trump administration's transformation of the federal government and recently published a piece describing how she gained hundreds of new sources, leading a colleague to call her "the federal government whisperer."

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While classified documents investigations aren't unusual, the search of a reporter's home marks an escalation in the government's efforts to crack down on leaks.

An affidavit says the search was related to an investigation into a system administrator in Maryland who authorities allege took home classified reports, the newspaper reported. The system administrator, Aurelio Perez-Lugones, was charged earlier this month with unlawful retention of national defense information, according to court papers.

Perez-Lugones, who held a top secret security clearance, is accused of printing classified and sensitive reports at work. In a search of his Maryland home and car this month, authorities found documents marked "SECRET," including one in a lunchbox, according to court papers.

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An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on Wednesday. Justice Department officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The Washington Post said Wednesday that it was monitoring and reviewing the situation. An email seeking comment was sent to lawyers for Perez-Lugones.

The Justice Department over the years has developed, and revised, internal guidelines governing how it will respond to news media leaks.

In April, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued new guidelines saying prosecutors would again have the authority to use subpoenas, court orders and search warrants to hunt for government officials who make "unauthorized disclosures" to journalists.

The moves rescinded a Biden administration policy that protected journalists from having their phone records secretly seized during leak investigations — a practice long decried by news organizations and press freedom groups.