Katherine Jacobsen, North America co-ordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said the raid should disturb all Americans, with the US at a “critical juncture” as the Trump administration eroded civil liberties.
“Using the FBI – funded by American taxpayers – to seize a reporter’s electronic devices, including her official work laptop, is a blatant violation of journalistic protections and undermines the public’s right to know,” she said.
FBI director Kash Patel.Credit: AP
“Without assurances that journalists can protect their reporting materials, accountability journalism will suffer a major setback, eroding yet another mechanism for government accountability.”
CNN reported that the raid was conducted at the request of the Pentagon and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.
Bondi and Hegseth appeared to confirm that in their social media posts, with Bondi saying she was “proud to work alongside Secretary Hegseth on this effort”. Hegseth thanked Bondi “for having the back of our warfighters”.
Hegseth was embroiled in controversy last year when he shared sensitive military operational information in a Signal group chat that, unbeknownst to him, included a high-profile journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic.
The FBI raided the home of a Washington Post journalist in a highly unusual and aggressive move.Credit: AP
The Pentagon’s watchdog later found Hegseth put the lives of personnel at risk and violated policy.
Hegseth has also presided over a new Pentagon media policy which led almost all Pentagon-based media outlets to withdraw their reporters from the building. They were replaced with Trump-supporting podcasters and activists.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt endorsed the FBI investigation and Wednesday morning’s raid.
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“Leaking classified information puts America’s national security and the safety of our military heroes in serious jeopardy,” she said.
“President Trump has zero tolerance for it and will continue to aggressively crack down on these illegal acts moving forward.”
Natanson was contacted for comment. Last month she wrote a first-person account of her year as the “federal government whisperer”, receiving tips from almost 1200 government workers about how their workplaces or missions were being upended by the Trump administration.
