FBI Raid on WaPo Reporter’s Home Was Based on Sham Pretext
In a chilling escalation of the Trump administration's war on press freedom, the FBI has raided the home of Washington Post journalist Hannah Natanson. According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the raid was part of an investigation into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Pentagon contractor accused of illegally retaining classified information.
However, investigators told Natanson she was not the focus of the probe, and Perez-Lugones has not been accused of leaking the information he allegedly retained. Despite this, the administration's actions have raised serious concerns about their motivations and lack of transparency.
Bondi's decision to reverse media protections for journalists, which were put in place during the Biden era, was a sham from the start. The attorney general relied on unsubstantiated claims that leaks about classified information caused harm to national security, when in fact, declassified documents have shown that such claims are false.
The raid on Natanson's home is part of a broader pattern of intimidation and harassment aimed at journalists and their sources. The Trump administration has consistently sought to undermine the free press, citing outlandish claims about leaks and national security threats as excuses for its actions.
But the reality is that every presidential administration classifies too much information, with up to 90% of information being overclassified. Agencies are supposed to take public interest into account when making declassification decisions, but this standard has been consistently ignored by the Trump administration.
The raid on Natanson's home and Bondi's actions have serious implications for press freedom in the United States. The public has a right to know what the government is doing and why, and whistleblowers have the right to work with the press, even when information is classified.
As Congress fails to pass a federal shield bill or reform the Espionage Act, the entire federal government needs a refresher course on its obligations to protect journalists and their sources. The Intercept has been at the forefront of this fight, and we need your help to continue our work.
We are an independent news organization funded by members, not corporate interests. To grow and expand our reporting capacity in 2026, we need your support. Will you join us?
In a chilling escalation of the Trump administration's war on press freedom, the FBI has raided the home of Washington Post journalist Hannah Natanson. According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the raid was part of an investigation into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Pentagon contractor accused of illegally retaining classified information.
However, investigators told Natanson she was not the focus of the probe, and Perez-Lugones has not been accused of leaking the information he allegedly retained. Despite this, the administration's actions have raised serious concerns about their motivations and lack of transparency.
Bondi's decision to reverse media protections for journalists, which were put in place during the Biden era, was a sham from the start. The attorney general relied on unsubstantiated claims that leaks about classified information caused harm to national security, when in fact, declassified documents have shown that such claims are false.
The raid on Natanson's home is part of a broader pattern of intimidation and harassment aimed at journalists and their sources. The Trump administration has consistently sought to undermine the free press, citing outlandish claims about leaks and national security threats as excuses for its actions.
But the reality is that every presidential administration classifies too much information, with up to 90% of information being overclassified. Agencies are supposed to take public interest into account when making declassification decisions, but this standard has been consistently ignored by the Trump administration.
The raid on Natanson's home and Bondi's actions have serious implications for press freedom in the United States. The public has a right to know what the government is doing and why, and whistleblowers have the right to work with the press, even when information is classified.
As Congress fails to pass a federal shield bill or reform the Espionage Act, the entire federal government needs a refresher course on its obligations to protect journalists and their sources. The Intercept has been at the forefront of this fight, and we need your help to continue our work.
We are an independent news organization funded by members, not corporate interests. To grow and expand our reporting capacity in 2026, we need your support. Will you join us?
... but at the same time, I don't know if it's really that much of a big deal 
... I think the whole thing might be blown outta proportion... like, I get why people are worried about press freedom and all, but can we take a step back and look at the facts? 
Maybe there was some legit reason for the raid, who knows? 
... but what's really getting me is that our government has been trying to silence journalists for ages, like, way before Trump even knew what a tweet was 
... it's not like this is a new thing, you know? 
The recent FBI raid on WaPo reporter Hannah Natanson's home is a disturbing example of the Trump administration's reckless disregard for press freedom 
. This sham pretext investigation is just another attempt to silence journalists and stifle the free flow of information in our democracy 
. By relying on unsubstantiated claims about leaks causing national security harm, Attorney General Pam Bondi has exposed her true intentions: to undermine the integrity of the press and chill dissenting voices 
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. The fact remains that agencies should prioritize public interest when declassifying documents, not advance partisan agendas 
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. Until then, we need more voices like The Intercept advocating for journalists' rights and holding those in power accountable for their actions 
. Your support is crucial to our continued work in exposing the truth and promoting press freedom 
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it's outrageous. and what's really getting me is the fact that bondi is using this as an excuse to take away media protections for journalists 
i dont think this is about national security at all it sounds like a total setup to me 
what is going on with the admin and their obsession with silencing journalists 
90%+ is overclassified 
. Agencies should take public interest into account when declassifying decisions 
.
Congress needs to pass a federal shield bill or reform Espionage Act 
. The Intercept is doing great work 
, but needs support 
.
! Let's keep holding these admins accountable and fighting for a free press 
This is getting crazy! The FBI raid on Natanson's home was just plain wrong. I mean, come on, who needs a pretext that big?! It's like they're trying to set a bad example for everyone else. And what's with Bondi's decision to revoke media protections? That's not transparency, that's cover-up. 
And if you want to support The Intercept's work, count me in - let's give them the resources they need to keep shining a light on what's really going on behind the scenes 
. First, they're raiding journalists' homes over some sketchy contractor, and now it sounds like they're just trying to set a bad precedent for future administrations. It's like they want to make sure no one can whistle blow without getting torn apart 
. I mean, we already know that classified info is overused and misused. It's time for our government to get its priorities straight and respect the public's right to know what's going on 
We need better laws and protections in place, like a federal shield bill or some kind of reform for the Espionage Act. It's time for our government to step up its game and take care of its own press corps 
the whole thing stinks of trump's desperation to silence anyone who dares speak out against him 
the real question is what other journos have been targeted by these goons? we need to keep speaking truth to power and not let the admin get away with this intimidation tactic 
. I mean, can't they just be honest about what they're hiding?