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The FBI searched the home of a Washington Post reporter, reportedly seizing a couple of her electronic devices.
The news outlet claimed that federal agents on Wednesday morning searched the home of Hannah Natanson, a Washington, D.C.-based reporter. Natanson has been responsible for “high-profile and sensitive coverage” of the federal government during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term in office, according to the Post.
'The alleged leaker was arrested this week and is in custody.'
The FBI reportedly searched Natanson’s electronic devices, seizing her phone and Garmin watch.
The Post alleged that the recent raid was a part of an ongoing investigation into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a government contractor.
Perez-Lugones, a Maryland resident, is accused of unlawfully retaining national defense information, according to court records. He previously served in the U.S. Navy and held a Top Secret security clearance. Since leaving the military in 2002, he has worked as a government contractor in various capacities.
A January 9 affidavit described Perez-Lugones as currently working as a systems engineer and information technology specialist for a government contracting company based in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. His role allows him to maintain a Top Secret security clearance with access to information related to “intelligence sources, methods, and analytical processes,” which he has maintained since at least 2000, the court document read.
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In October, Perez-Lugones allegedly took screenshots of a Top Secret report, pasted the images into a Microsoft Word document, and printed it. He was also accused of writing classified information on a yellow notepad and taking the sheets of paper home on January 7. The following day, authorities searched Perez-Lugones’ home, allegedly discovering multiple documents that were marked as Secret, including a document found in his lunch box.
“One or more of these documents are related to national defense,” the affidavit read.
However, the criminal complaint did not accuse Perez-Lugones of disseminating any classified information to a reporter.
Perez-Lugones’ attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.
Kash Patel. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
In December, Natanson published a report at the Post titled, “I am The Post’s ‘federal government whisperer.’ It’s been brutal,” in which she described receiving messages from more than 1,000 current or former federal government workers eager to share how Trump's leadership had negatively impacted workplace policies.
“People inside government agencies weren’t supposed to tell me about any of that,” Natanson wrote in the report, referring to articles in the Post that originated from tips she received from government workers.
When reached for comment, the FBI referred Blaze News to Director Kash Patel’s X post addressing the Wednesday search.
“This morning the @FBI and partners executed a search warrant 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 alleged leaker was arrested this week and is in custody. As this is an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment,” Patel wrote.
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