Court Blocks Feds from Searching Post Reporter’s Seized Electronics

A federal judge has prevented authorities from conducting unrestricted searches of electronic devices taken from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's Virginia home. The devices were seized during an investigation into alleged classified information leaks from a Pentagon contractor to the journalist.

A federal magistrate judge has prohibited government investigators from performing unlimited searches of electronic equipment confiscated from Washington Post journalist Hannah Natanson’s Alexandria, Virginia residence during a probe into suspected classified document leaks.

U.S. Magistrate Judge William Porter announced Tuesday he will personally examine the contents of Natanson’s confiscated devices rather than permit a Justice Department screening team to conduct the review. Porter explained his decision sought to balance protecting the reporter’s constitutional speech rights against the government’s responsibility to secure sensitive national security materials.

“The Court finds that seizing the totality of a reporter’s electronic work product, including tools essential to ongoing newsgathering, constitutes a restraint on the exercise of First Amendment rights,” Porter stated in his ruling.

The situation has attracted nationwide focus and criticism from media freedom organizations, who view it as evidence of heightened Justice Department enforcement in leak cases involving news professionals.

During their January 14th search of Natanson’s Alexandria home, federal investigators confiscated multiple items including a smartphone, two laptop computers, recording equipment, a portable storage device, and a Garmin fitness watch. Porter had previously issued a temporary restriction preventing authorities from examining materials on Natanson’s devices, which Tuesday’s ruling now makes permanent.

“The Court’s genuine hope is that this search was conducted — as the government contends — to gather evidence of a crime in a single case, not to collect information about confidential sources from a reporter who has published articles critical of the administration,” the judge noted.

While The Post requested immediate return of all equipment to their reporter, Porter rejected that appeal. However, he determined the government may retain only minimal information directly related to their search authorization, requiring everything else be returned to Natanson.

Permitting authorities to examine a journalist’s work materials, including unrelated confidential source information, “is the equivalent of leaving the government’s fox in charge of the Washington Post’s henhouse,” Porter observed.

Defense contractor Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones faces charges following his January 8th arrest for illegally removing and keeping classified materials. Prosecutors allege Perez-Lugones brought home printed classified documents from his job and subsequently provided them to Natanson.

Legal representatives for the newspaper claim officials violated journalist protection protocols and infringed upon Natanson’s constitutional rights.

Government prosecutors maintain they deserve to keep the confiscated materials because they contain evidence relevant to an active national security investigation.

The FBI launched their inquiry after The Post published an October 31st story containing classified details from an intelligence document, according to federal authorities. Officials say the Post reporter authored or contributed to at least five articles featuring classified material supplied by Perez-Lugones.

Natanson has focused her reporting on President Donald Trump’s federal government restructuring efforts. The Post featured an article where she detailed cultivating hundreds of federal employee sources, earning recognition from a colleague as “the federal government whisperer.”

The Post reports the confiscated materials encompass years of Natanson’s journalism spanning hundreds of stories, including correspondence with anonymous sources.

The Justice Department maintains internal protocols for addressing media leak situations. Last April, Attorney General Pam Bondi implemented revised guidelines restoring prosecutor authority to utilize subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants when pursuing government officials who make unauthorized information disclosures to journalists.

These updated guidelines eliminated protections from President Joe Biden’s administration that shielded reporters from secret phone record seizures during leak investigations.

Perez-Lugones, age 61 from Laurel, Maryland, remains in custody since his arrest. He possessed top-secret security clearance while employed as a systems engineer and IT specialist for a government contracting firm.

Investigators discovered text communications between Perez-Lugones and the reporter discussing his provided information, authorities stated. “I’m going quiet for a bit … just to see if anyone starts asking questions,” Perez-Lugones messaged after transmitting one document, according to government evidence.