President Donald Trump said that a federal investigation involving a Washington Post reporter stemmed from leaks tied to U.S. policy on Venezuela, describing the case as part of a broader effort to crack down on unauthorized disclosures.
Speaking to reporters at The White House, Trump said the government had caught "a very bad leaker" and added that "there could be some others, and we'll let you know about that. We're hot on their trail."
His comments came hours after F.B.I. agents searched the home of Hannah Natanson, a reporter for The Washington Post, as part of a leak investigation. Agents seized laptops, a phone and a smartwatch while executing a search warrant, according to the newspaper. Searches of reporters' homes are rare and are generally restricted under a 1980 federal law unless journalists are suspected of crimes related to the materials.
The Post said it had received a subpoena earlier that day seeking information connected to a government contractor. In a message to staff, executive editor Matt Murray said neither Natanson nor the paper was a target of the investigation but called the search "deeply concerning" and said it raised questions about constitutional protections for journalism.
Court documents show investigators are focusing on Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland-based system administrator with top-secret clearance. Prosecutors allege he improperly accessed and removed classified intelligence reports, some of which were later found in his lunchbox and basement. An F.B.I. affidavit says Perez-Lugones printed documents he was not authorized to obtain and took notes on classified reports this year.
Officials said that when Perez-Lugones was arrested, he was communicating with Natanson and that investigators found classified material in their messages. Natanson has reported extensively on the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Venezuela, including coverage of the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and related diplomatic efforts.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the search was conducted at the request of the Pentagon to look for evidence at the home of a journalist "who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor," as The New York Times reports. She said the alleged leaker had been arrested and that the administration had "zero tolerance" for leaks that it says threaten national security.
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