Kash Patel Posts Confusing Update After FBI Raid On Washington Post Reporter; Pentagon Contractor Arrested

FBI agents executed a search warrant early Wednesday at the Alexandria, Virginia, home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson and seized multiple devices, including her phone and both work and personal laptops, as part of an investigation into an alleged leak of classified Pentagon material.

The bureau has arrested a government contractor accused of retaining and leaking classified military information. FBI Director Kash Patel posted a terse update on X announcing the arrest while also saying the investigation remains active — a message that critics called confusing and that has drawn scrutiny from First Amendment experts worried about pressures on the press.

“The government contractor alleged to have illegally retained and leaked classified, sensitive military op information to a reporter has been arrested,” Patel wrote on X. “Investigation ongoing.”

Patel included a screenshot of a Fox News headline about the search and has previously drawn criticism for posting about active investigations on social media. His post also warned that “compromising the safety of our war fighters and America’s national security will be met with the full weight of justice.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the search was carried out at the request of the Defense Department. In an X post she wrote that the Department of Justice and FBI executed the warrant after requests from the Pentagon, adding that the alleged leaker is “currently behind bars” and praising the coordination with defense officials.

The FBI raided the hoe of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on Wednesday. / The Washington Post

“This past week, at the request of the Department of War, the Department of Justice and FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post journalist who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor,” Bondi wrote on X. “The leaker is currently behind bars. I am proud to work alongside Secretary Hegseth on this effort.”

Steve Hegseth reposted Bondi’s message with the comment “Great work,” thanking officials for “having the back of our warfighters.” Critics pointed out an element of irony: an inspector general review published last year found that a senior defense official had shared sensitive operational details in a private messaging chat that included a reporter, raising questions about consistency in how leaks are treated.

Natanson, who covers the federal workforce and has been called a “federal government whisperer,” was at home during the search. Police and federal agents reportedly told her she was not the focus of the probe; authorities say their target is a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified materials. The Washington Post said it received a subpoena seeking communications connected to that contractor and was asked to provide correspondence between the contractor and Post employees.

Matt Murray, The Post’s executive editor, told employees in an internal email that the search was “deeply concerning” and raised “profound questions and concerns around the constitutional protections for our work.” First Amendment advocates and many newsroom leaders say the incident underscores the tension between national security investigations and press freedoms.

The investigation is ongoing; prosecutors and federal authorities have not released full details about the charges against the contractor or the scope of the evidence seized.