New York, 14 January 2026 (dpa/MIA) – Officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have searched the home of a Washington Post reporter.

The newspaper itself, along with the New York Times, reported on Wednesday that the measure was related to investigations against a government employee.

Media reports suggest the search warrant stated that the employee had taken secret service files home without permission and passed them on.

The journalist, Hannah Natanson, is said to have been present during the search. Investigators confiscated her mobile phone, two laptops – including a work device – and a smartwatch.

The Washington Post wrote that the investigators told her that the probe was directed against a system administrator from the state of Maryland with the highest level of security clearance. He is said to have kept classified documents at his home.

The Washington Post wrote that such searches are extremely unusual, even in the context of data leak investigations.

The incident raises questions about press freedom in the US, according to US broadcaster CNN.

The journalist in question had reported extensively last year on US President Donald Trump's efforts to dismiss federal employees or realign them politically.

According to US media reports, numerous government employees had approached her with concerns. Experts fear that such measures against journalists could have a deterrent effect on whistleblowers. 

The FBI did not initially comment on the incident, but US Attorney General Pamela Bondi defended the action.

On the X platform, she explained that the search was carried out at the request of the Department of Defense. The journalist, she said,  had received classified information that had been illegally disclosed by a Pentagon contractor and reported on it. The alleged informant is now in custody.