The Powers That Be: Daily Why Trump’s Feds Came for Bezos’s Newsroom
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Jan 15, 2026 Eriq Gardner, a media and legal journalist specializing in First Amendment and privacy issues, joins to dissect the F.B.I.'s surprising raid on a Washington Post journalist's home. He details what was seized and the implications for press freedom under the Trump administration. Eriq also discusses the investigation's context, potential legal battles the Post might pursue, and the chilling effects on reporters and sources. The conversation reveals the precarious nature of journalism in times of governmental scrutiny.
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Dawn Raid On Reporter Was Unusually Aggressive
- The FBI executed a dawn search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home and seized multiple devices without prior negotiation.
- Eriq Gardner characterizes the tactic as extremely aggressive and unusual for inquiries into leaks.
Search Tied To Contractor's Arrest And Chats
- The raid is connected to the arrest of contractor Aurelio Perez-Lugones, accused of removing classified files from secure facilities.
- The DOJ says investigators found classified information in chats between Perez-Lugones and Natanson prompting the search of her devices.
Privacy Protection Act Restricts Searches Of Reporters
- The Privacy Protection Act (1980) was enacted after police searches of newsrooms and limits searches of journalists' work product.
- Eriq Gardner notes law enforcement may only search reporters' materials under narrow exceptions.