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Judge Blocks DOJ Search of Washington Post Reporter’s Devices, Orders Court-Led Review

The court will conduct its own review to protect journalistic work product under safeguards the judge said prosecutors failed to address.

Washington Post staffers enter the building following union members and supporters who gathered at a 'Save the Post' rally outside The Washington Post after widespread layoffs were announced, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 5, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo
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A a new banner featuring an image of President Donald Trump is displayed on the facade of the U.S. Department of Justice headquarters, in Washington, DC, Feb. 20, 2026.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 25: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. The committee met to hear testimony to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Justice. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Overview

  • U.S. Magistrate Judge William B. Porter barred an unsupervised Justice Department search of Hannah Natanson’s seized electronics and said the court will review the materials itself.
  • The ruling allows the government to keep only information responsive to the warrant and orders the return of non‑responsive data to the reporter.
  • Porter criticized prosecutors for not disclosing the Privacy Protection Act of 1980, saying the omission undermined the court’s confidence in the government’s representations.
  • FBI agents seized a phone, two laptops, a recorder, a portable hard drive and a Garmin watch from Natanson’s Alexandria home on January 14 as part of a leak probe.
  • The investigation centers on contractor Aurelio Luis Perez‑Lugones, who has pleaded not guilty to unlawful transmission and retention of national defense information, with a status conference set for March 4.