Evan Perez on Devices Seized from WaPo’s Reporter: It Raises the Possibility That the FBI Could Look Around for Other Things

RUSH EXCERPT:
PEREZ: "Right. And I think that‘s one of the reasons why what happened today is so extraordinary. And also, you know, obviously we‘ve been expecting that this was going to be tested. And, you know, that statement from the FBI director, I think does raise additional concerns. Now, as you pointed out, the post and others are saying that they‘ve been assured that she‘s not the target, but the extraordinary steps that they took today and that those comments from Kash Patel tell us that that could easily change. Because what, you know, seizing her, her, her devices, seizing her work computer again raises the possibility that the FBI could go looking around for other things and then change their mind and decide that perhaps they want to pursue things against this. reporter. Again, I would not be reassured by what Kash Patel says. Especially because of the the memo from the attorney general from last year. She issued that memo in April, which rescinded the Garland memo. And one and one of the things that you look at that memo, it really talks a lot about the about the elites, in Washington. And the whole theme of it is that reporters are being protected extraordinarily and that the government needs to be able to find leakers. And if they need to go subpoena reporters and force them to give up their sources, they should be able to do that. Now, the attorney general also says, though, that obviously she has to approve some of these extraordinary measures. But I think one of the things that that is chilling about what happened today, Jake, is that they they already had the contractor. His name is aurelio perez lugones, who allegedly is the is the person who leaked these documents. He is behind bars right now. He is subject right now to a to a detention. While he faces the charges that they‘re that they‘re pursuing against him. And so the question is, why do you need to do this with reporters?"