Is DOJ hiding press protections to raid reporters? We sue to find out

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington, D.C., June 8, 2026 — Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) filed a federal Freedom of Information Act lawsuit today against the U.S. Department of Justice to uncover whether the agency is systematically misrepresenting the law and hiding statutory press protections from federal judges so that it can secure search warrants against journalists. The lawsuit, filed with assistance from Free Information Group, follows the DOJ’s failure to disclose records regarding the unprecedented Jan. 14 FBI raid on Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home. These include whether the agency has adopted an internal practice of hiding from magistrate judges the existence of the Privacy Protection Act of 1980 — which outlaws raids on newsrooms and journalists’ homes — t…