WASHINGTON—According to news reports, the FBI today searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, who has been covering the Trump administration’s firing of federal employees. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University called on the Justice Department to provide a public explanation for its actions.

The following can be attributed to Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute.

“Any search targeting a journalist warrants intense scrutiny because these kinds of searches can deter and impede reporting that is vital to our democracy. Attorney General Bondi has weakened guidelines that were intended to protect the freedom of the press, but there are still important legal limits, including constitutional ones, on the government’s authority to use subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants to obtain information from journalists. The Justice Department should explain publicly why it believes this search was necessary and legally permissible, and Congress and the courts should scrutinize that explanation carefully. Searches of newsrooms and journalists are hallmarks of illiberal regimes, and we must ensure that these practices are not normalized here.” 

For more information, contact: Adriana Lamirande, [email protected].