FBI agents executed a search warrant Wednesday morning at the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, seizing her phone, Garmin watch, and a pair of laptops as part of an ongoing investigation into a Maryland government contractor.
According to the Post's own reporting, the contractor, identified as Aurelio Perez-Lugones in a warrant, is accused of illegally retaining and accessing classified intelligence materials.
Where were these alleged materials? Perez-Lugones is alleged to have stashed documents in his lunchbox and basement.
"The warrant said that law enforcement was investigating Aurelio Perez-Lugones," the outlet writes, "a system administrator in Maryland who has a top-secret security clearance and has been accused of accessing and taking home classified intelligence reports that were found in his lunchbox and his basement, according to an FBI affidavit."
Sandy Berger's pants think it's a bit ridiculous to stuff documents in a lunch box.
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement on the search of Natanson's home, saying the reporter "was obtaining" the classified materials from a Pentagon contractor.
"This past week, at the request of the Department of War, the Department of Justice and FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post journalist who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor," she said in a statement posted to X. "The leaker is currently behind bars."
This past week, at the request of the Department of War, the Department of Justice and FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post journalist who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor. The leaker is…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 14, 2026
More Hot Stories: 'Going to Be a Big Problem for Him': Trump Smacks Down Greenland PM Who Says He ‘Chooses Denmark’
Video Shows Another MN Woman Attempting to Block ICE With Her Car, and She Gets Yolked Up in a Hurry
Despite the clear implication that Natanson was accepting and then making classified information public, the Washington Post says investigators have told their reporter, who describes her job as covering "the Trump administration's reshaping of the government and its effects," that she is not the focus of the probe.
The outlet contends that while it "is not unusual for FBI agents to conduct leak investigations of reporters who publish sensitive government information, it is highly unusual and aggressive for law enforcement to conduct a search on a reporter’s home."
"Natanson covers the federal workforce and has been a part of The Washington Post’s most high-profile and sensitive coverage during the first year of the second Trump administration," the newspaper writes.
Three weeks ago, Natanson penned a column on how she was the Post’s "federal government whisperer," noting she had gained "1,169 contacts on Signal, all current or former federal employees who decided to trust me with their stories" during the past year.
She described the role of "whisperer" to the Trump administration as "brutal."
The Washington Post, whose tagline is "Democracy Dies in Darkness," tells Fox News that it is "reviewing and monitoring the situation."
We'll keep RedState readers updated as new events warrant in this developing case.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member