The FBI raided the home of The Washington Post reporter and “federal government whisperer” Hannah Natanson last week. Court documents show the agency seized her private laptop, work laptop, work phone, a 1 TB portable hard drive, a Garmin running watch, and a voice recorder used for work. Natanson has spent the past year covering President Trump’s reshaping of the federal government.
At a Glance
- FBI seized Natanson’s personal and professional devices, including a 1 TB portable hard drive.
- The raid uncovered a 1 169 new sources list of people willing to share experiences under Trump.
- A judge has allowed the government to keep the property but barred review of the material.
- This is the first known raid on a journalist’s home in a national-security investigation.
Raid Details
The FBI entered Natanson’s residence under a search warrant issued for a national-security leak. The warrant targeted her “private laptop, work laptop, work phone, 1 TB portable hard drive, Garmin watch, and voice recorder.” The raid was conducted in the early hours, with agents removing the items without public notification.
Scope of Seizure
The seized items included:
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Private laptop | Personal data and documents |
| Work laptop | Washington Post credentials |
| Work phone | Texts and voice calls |
| 1 TB portable hard drive | Large volume of data |
| Garmin running watch | Personal health data |
| Voice recorder | Audio notes for reporting |
Through the phone, the FBI accessed texts and voice recordings with confidential sources, including a list of 1 169 new sources who wrote to Natanson about working for the federal government under Trump. The agency also obtained access to Natanson’s Google Drive and Proton Drive, cloud services she used to store encrypted information from sources.
Impact on Journalistic Work
Natanson said the FBI’s access to her cloud accounts “provides an enormous window” into her work. She explained:
“Slack is how the Post newsroom often shares information from sources, originates and debates story ideas, and discusses edits to draft stories. Thus, having access to Slack is like having access to the Post newsroom,” Natanson said.
She added that the seizure could expose confidential sources and unpublished newsgathering unrelated to the alleged leak:
“Given the huge volume of materials the government seized, any government review of the materials will necessarily expose information relating to confidential sources, unpublished newsgathering, and other journalistic work product that has nothing whatsoever to do with Perez-Lugones,” Natanson said.
The Washington Post has requested the immediate return of all seized property. On Wednesday, a judge ruled that the government can keep the property but blocked them from reviewing the material, for now.
Legal Response
The raid was justified by the FBI under the premise of a national-security leak involving Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, a former government contractor with a top-secret clearance. Perez-Lugones is being investigated for an alleged leak.
The Post’s statement to the court emphasized the broader implications:
“Anything less would license future newsroom raids and normalize censorship by search warrant,” the Post said.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press called the seizure an unprecedented intrusion, describing it as “outrageous” and a threat to free speech.
Broader Implications
This raid marks the first time a journalist’s home was searched in a national-security investigation. The case raises questions about the balance between national security and press freedom. If the government can access a reporter’s Slack and cloud drives, future investigations could extend to other journalists.
The incident underscores the need for clear legal standards governing the seizure of journalistic materials. Until now, the precedent for protecting reporters’ confidential sources and unpublished work was largely based on the First Amendment and journalistic privilege.
Key Takeaways
- The FBI seized personal and professional devices from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson.
- The raid included a 1 TB portable hard drive and a list of 1 169 new sources.
- A judge has allowed the government to keep the property but barred review of the material.
- This is the first known raid on a journalist’s home in a national-security investigation, raising concerns about press freedom.
- The Washington Post and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press warn that future raids could normalize censorship.
The case remains under close scrutiny, with journalists and legal scholars watching for how the courts will balance national security interests against the First Amendment.
Conclusion
The FBI’s raid on Natanson’s home illustrates the growing tension between national-security investigations and the right to a free press. The legal outcome of this case will likely shape how future investigations handle journalists’ confidential materials.
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Footnotes
- The FBI’s seizure included a 1 TB portable hard drive.
- The list of 1 169 new sources was obtained via texts and voice recordings.
- The judge’s ruling blocked the FBI from reviewing the material.
