Washington Post reporter’s home searched by FBI in classified documents probe, newspaper says

WASHINGTON - FBI agents searched the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of taking home classified material, the newspaper reported.

What we know:

The Post said agents seized journalist Hannah Natanson’s devices, including a phone and a Garmin watch, during the search at her Virginia home.

Natanson covers the Trump administration’s overhaul of the federal government and recently wrote about expanding her network of sources.

While classified‑documents investigations are not uncommon, searching a reporter’s home marks a significant escalation in the government’s crackdown on suspected leaks.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the search was carried out at the Pentagon’s request.

"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," Bondi said in a post 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."

An affidavit says the search is tied to an investigation into a Maryland system administrator accused of taking home classified reports, the Post reported.

The system administrator, Aurelio Perez‑Lugones, was charged earlier this month with unlawful retention of national defense information, according to court filings cited by the Associated Press.

Perez‑Lugones, who held a top‑secret clearance, is accused of printing classified and sensitive reports at work.

During a search of his Maryland home and car, authorities found documents marked "SECRET," including one stored in a lunchbox, court papers say.

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment, and Justice Department officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Washington Post said it is monitoring and reviewing the situation.

The backstory:

The Justice Department maintains internal guidelines for handling news‑media leak cases, revising them several times over the years.

In April, Bondi issued new guidelines restoring the authority of prosecutors to use subpoenas, court orders and search warrants to pursue officials who make "unauthorized disclosures" to journalists.

The changes reversed a Biden‑era policy that protected journalists from having phone records secretly seized during leak investigations.