FBI Raids Washington Post Reporter’s Home in Leak Probe

The FBI’s search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home has ignited one of the most serious press-freedom controversies in years.

Agents executed a court-approved warrant at her Virginia residence as part of an investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of illegally retaining classified documents.

While Natanson was told she is not accused of any wrongdoing, the move was still described by the Washington Post as “highly unusual and aggressive,” sending shockwaves through newsrooms across the country.

Natanson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has been reporting on President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the federal government, including mass layoffs, buyouts, and structural changes inside federal agencies.

The search is tied to a federal probe involving Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a systems administrator with top-secret clearance who allegedly accessed and kept classified intelligence reports.

Court documents do not accuse him of leaking information to the press, even as Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed a journalist had been reporting classified material.

Press-freedom advocates warn the case could set a dangerous precedent.