Washington Post demands immediate return of reporter’s devices seized by FBI citing threats to free press
Washington Post demands return of reporter’s devices seized during FBI raid
- The Washington Post is demanding the immediate return of computers, phones, and other devices seized by federal agents from reporter Hannah Natanson's home.
- The seizure, connected to an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified materials, is argued by the newspaper to violate constitutional protections for free speech and a free press.
- Lawyers for The Washington Post contend that allowing the government to keep the materials would “license future newsroom raids and normalize censorship by search warrant.”
- Agents seized a “massive volume” of data, including years of source information and unpublished material, with much of it reportedly unrelated to the specific investigation.
- This incident appears to be the first federal raid of a journalist’s home in connection with a national security investigation, raising concerns about chilling speech and crippling reporting.