FBI searches a Washington Post reporter's home : NPR
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- FBI agents searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson as part of an investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of taking classified information home, seizing her phone, laptops, and a Garmin watch.
- The search relates to an investigation of Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a government contractor charged with unlawful retention of national defense information, though he has not been accused of leaking classified material.
- The Washington Post and its executive editor emphasized that Natanson and the newspaper are not targets of the probe, but expressed concern about the implications for press freedoms and constitutional protections.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the search was requested by the Defense Department, citing concerns over leaks of classified information, while First Amendment groups warned the action could chill investigative journalism.
