Federal agents searched the home of a Washington Post journalist as part of an investigation into the alleged leak of classified information from a government contractor, Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
Bondi said the journalist had been reporting on “classified and illegally leaked information” connected to the case. The Washington Post reported that agents seized reporter Hannah Natanson’s phone, two laptops and a Garmin watch during the search.
The newspaper said Natanson is not accused of any wrongdoing. According to the publication, the warrant states investigators are focused on a man with top-secret security clearance who is accused of improperly accessing classified intelligence reports and taking them home.
Bondi alluded to the suspect in a post on X on Wednesday, saying he is now in custody.
Searches or seizures involving journalists’ records are rare due to concerns about press freedom.
Earlier this year, Bondi issued a Justice Department memorandum rescinding a Biden-era policy that broadly restricted federal authorities from seeking reporters’ records in leak investigations.
“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,” Bondi said.
