Hannah Natanson, who has been covering President Donald Trump’s transformation of the federal government, had a phone and a Garmin watch seized in the search of her Virginia home, the Post reported. Natanson has reported extensively on the federal workforce, and recently she published a piece describing how she gained hundreds of new sources — leading one colleague to call her “the federal government whisperer.”
While classified documents investigations aren't unusual, the search of a reporter's home marks an escalation in the government's efforts to crack down on leaks.
"Leaking classified information puts America’s national security and the safety of our military heroes in serious jeopardy," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X. “President Trump has zero tolerance for it and will continue to aggressively crack down on these illegal acts moving forward.”
An affidavit says the search was related to an investigation into a system administrator in Maryland who authorities allege took home classified reports, the Post reported. The system administrator, Aurelio Perez-Lugones, was charged earlier this month with unlawful retention of national defense information, according to court papers.
Perez-Lugones, who held a top secret security clearance, is accused of printing classified and sensitive reports at work. In a search of his Maryland home and car this month, authorities found documents marked “SECRET,” including one in a lunchbox, according to court papers.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the search was done at the request of the Defense Department and said the journalist was “obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor.”
Trump’s Republican 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 in a post on X.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on Wednesday. The Washington Post said Wednesday that it was monitoring and reviewing the situation. An email seeking comment was sent to lawyers for Perez-Lugones.
