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6d ago

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

The magistrate faulted prosecutors for omitting the Privacy Protection Act from their warrant bid, ruling that only material responsive to the warrant may be retained.

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 a Justice Department filter-team review and said he will examine Hannah Natanson’s data himself to safeguard newsgathering rights.
  • The decision follows the FBI’s Jan. 14 search of Natanson’s Virginia home, which seized a phone, two laptops, a recorder, a portable hard drive and a Garmin watch.
  • The court denied an immediate return of the devices but ordered that only information responsive to the search warrant may be kept and all other material must be returned.
  • Porter criticized the government for failing to address the Privacy Protection Act and compared a filter-team search to “leaving the government’s fox in charge of the Washington Post’s henhouse.”
  • The seizure is tied to charges against Pentagon contractor Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones; news outlets report Natanson is not a target, and a status conference is set for March 4.