Press Freedom and Leak Prosecutions

A magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Virginia ordered the government to preserve but not review electronics seized Jan. 14 from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson — including work and personal phones, laptops, a recorder, portable hard drive and Garmin watch — after the paper filed for their immediate return and argued the search violated the First Amendment and threatened source confidentiality; a hearing is set for Feb. 6 and the government must file a response by Jan. 28. The search, conducted at the Pentagon’s request in an investigation of contractor Aurelio Perez‑Lugones (charged with unlawful retention of national‑defense information but not with leaking), has drawn objections from the Post and press‑freedom groups even as Attorney General Pam Bondi and administration officials defended the action.