Trending:US takeover of GreenlandIran protestsChina mega embassy in LondonIslamic NatoIndia vs New ZealandBTS comebackFBI seizes WaPo reporter's phone, watch after Pentagon request in classified leak probeFP News Desk • January 15, 2026, 08:03:48 ISTWhatsapp Facebook TwitterHannah Natanson’s deep reporting on the federal workforce and her ability to cultivate hundreds of new sources have earned her the newsroom nickname “the federal government whisperer”AdvertisementSubscribe Join Us+ Follow us On GoogleChoose Firstpost on Google(File) Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Justice Department, on Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. APThe home of a Washington Post reporter was searched by the FBI late on Wednesday as part of an investigation into a leak involving a Pentagon contractor accused of mishandling classified national defence information. The Justice Department said that agents seized Hannah Natanson’s phone, two laptops and a Garmin watch from her home in Virginia. Natanson’s deep reporting on the federal workforce and her ability to cultivate hundreds of new sources have earned her the newsroom nickname “the federal government whisperer.”STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADWhy was Natanson’s home searched?Attorney General Pam Bondi said the search was part of an investigation into an alleged leak from the Pentagon, which has introduced new restrictive media policies under President Donald Trump. Bondi said the journalist “was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor” and that the search warrant was executed after a request from the Defense Department. More from World How US Justice Department disclosures dismantle Pakistan’s ceasefire narrative Havana Syndrome is back in the spotlight: Is it linked to a secret Pentagon device?Agents told Natanson she is not the focus of the probe. The paper reported that law enforcement was investigating Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a system administrator with top-level security clearance who is accused of taking home intelligence documents found in his lunchbox and his basement. Perez-Lugones, who served in the US Navy before working as a Pentagon contractor, was arrested last week in Maryland, according to court documents that do not mention any contact with journalists.“The leaker is currently behind bars,” Bondi said on social media.
