A federal judge in Virginia rejected the Justice Department’s request to search through a Washington Post reporter’s electronic devices as part of a national security leak investigation, ruling that the court would instead be responsible for conducting the search. They asked Porter to allow a government filter team to search through the devices for relevant information. Porter had first scolded prosecutors about this omission at a hearing on the search warrant in an Alexandria courthouse Friday. “Even so, had the government disclosed the PPA, the Court may well have rejected the search warrant application and directed the government to proceed by subpoena instead. It is exceptionally rare for law enforcement officials to search reporters’ homes.

Source: Washington Post February 25, 2026 03:55 UTC