US judge temporarily blocks review of material seized from Washington Post reporter

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

January 21, 2026 4:00 PM EST Updated 1 min ago


WASHINGTON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked federal prosecutors from reviewing material seized during an FBI search of a Washington Post reporter's home last week as part of an investigation into the alleged sharing of secret government information.

The Washington Post and the reporter, Hannah Natanson, asked a judge to order the return of all seized property, arguing the January 14 search violated free press and speech protections under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

U.S. Magistrate Judge William Porter directed federal prosecutors not to examine any of the information seized at least until early next month, when he scheduled a hearing on the request. Porter said the ruling would preserve the status quo until the Justice Department has an opportunity to respond to the Post's legal filing.

FBI agents searched Natanson's Virginia home as part of what Justice Department officials described as an investigation into the leak of classified information. The search was tied to a criminal case against a Pentagon contractor, who is charged with illegally retaining national defense information, officials said.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-judge-temporarily-blocks-review-material-seized-washington-post-reporter-2026-01-21/

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REFERENCES -

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143598521
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143602601

[SunSeeker]

1. The feds have probably already downloaded everything.

[ificandream]

2. The government has had that stuff a week.

More than enough time to look through it (and perhaps copy it). But at least it'll give a warning to Trump he can't keep doing that (even though he'll certainly try).

[groundloop]

3. "illegally retaining national defense information"

But it's OK if tRump keeps classified documents in a bathroom at his club.

[bluestarone]

4. Judges decisions are

KILLING us!! Fucking courts always seem to need months and months to do their FN JOB!

[Igel]

5. There are competing requirements.

You can summarize one of them as "justice delayed is justice denied." To the victim.

But you can also summarize another as "justice hurried is justice buried."

The judges have other cases on their plate and often it takes a while to track everything down and give everybody due process. Because everybody that is entitled to it should receive it, without the judges being respecters of people--judge the poor and the wealthy by the same standards is the ideal--might be impossible to attain, but it's still something to strive for.