The FBI searched the Virginia home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on Wednesday as part of an investigation involving a government contractor accused of improperly retaining classified materials, according to the newspaper. Natanson was present when agents executed the search warrant.
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The warrant stated that investigators are probing Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a Maryland-based system administrator with top secret security clearance. According to an FBI affidavit cited by the Post, Perez-Lugones is accused of accessing classified intelligence reports and taking them to his home, where some documents were allegedly found in a lunchbox and in his basement.
Natanson, who covers the Trump administration’s restructuring of the federal government and its effects, had her home and electronic devices searched during the operation. The Post reported that the search was connected to the broader investigation and not an allegation of wrongdoing by Natanson herself.
Perez-Lugones is an American citizen born in Miami who resides in Laurel, Maryland, according to a criminal complaint. He has worked as a government contractor since 2002 and has held top secret security clearance as part of his duties.
The complaint alleges that at least one of the documents recovered from Perez-Lugones’ home contained information related to national defense. Federal authorities have not publicly detailed how the documents were obtained or how long they were allegedly retained.
The Washington Post said Natanson has worked on some of the outlet’s most sensitive reporting during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term. Natanson told the newspaper that FBI agents seized a phone and a Garmin watch during the search.[/read]