The journalist is accused of reporting information obtained from a Pentagon contractor.
A journalist for The Washington Post was subject to a search warrant this week from the FBI and the Department of Justice, as an investigation continues into a government contractor accused of leaking classified information.
“This past week, 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,” Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on X. “The leaker is currently behind bars.
“I am proud to work alongside Secretary Hegseth on this effort. 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 newspaper identified the journalist as Hannah Natanson, who covers federal workers within the Trump administration and acquired more than a thousand sources. Her home and devices were searched by federal agents who seized her phone, her personal and Washington Post-issued laptops, and a Garmin watch.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed in a social media post that the search of the journalist’s home took place on the morning of Jan. 14.
Patel said the search warrant was of “an individual at the Washington Post who was found to allegedly be obtaining and reporting classified, sensitive military information from a government contractor—endangering our warfighters and compromising America’s national security.”
The government contractor being investigated is Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a system administrator in Maryland with top secret security clearance. He was charged earlier this month with unlawful retention of national defense information, according to court documents.
A search of his home and car earlier resulted in the discovery of documents marked “SECRET,” including one in a lunch box.
Though he did not mention a name, Patel added that “the alleged leaker was arrested this week and is in custody.” The investigation is ongoing.
This search comes several months after Bondi rescinded Biden-era policies that aimed to protect journalists, allowing prosecutors to once again issue subpoenas, search warrants, and court orders in their pursuit of government officials who make “unauthorized disclosures” to journalists.
By T.J. Muscaro
