F.B.I. agents searched the home of a Washington Post reporter on Wednesday, as part of what officials said was an investigation into the possible sharing of government secrets, according to people familiar with the matter.
It is unclear what reporting or what sensitive information prompted the inquiry and search. But it is exceedingly rare, even in investigations of classified disclosures, for federal agents to search a reporter’s home. Typically, such investigations are conducted by examining a reporter’s phone records or email data.
The reporter, Hannah Natanson, has spent the past year covering the Trump administration’s effort to fire federal workers and redirect much of the work force to enforcing his agenda. Many of those employees shared with her their anger, frustration and fear with the changes the administration was making.
The Washington Post declined to immediately comment.
Ms. Natanson recently wrote a first-person account of her experience talking to federal employees, quoting some of the messages she received from them.
“I understand the risks,” one Defense Department worker told her. “But getting the truth and facts out is so much more important.”
A Justice Department staff member wrote, “I’d never thought I’d be leaking info like this.”
Benjamin Mullin reports for The Times on the major companies behind news and entertainment. Contact him securely on Signal at +1 530-961-3223 or at [email protected].
The post F.B.I. Searches Home of Washington Post Journalist for Classified Documents appeared first on New York Times.
