Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement on Wednesday said that the Trump administration executed a search warrant of a Washington Post journalist who reported on "classified and illegally leaked information."
The post Bondi: DOJ, FBI Execute Search Warrant of Washington Post Journalist Who Reported Classified Information appeared first on Breitbart.
A Chicago surgeon is accused of shooting and killing his ex-wife and her new husband at the couple's home in Ohio, according to police. The murder suspect was caught 400 miles away from the crime scene, after the alleged killer revealed damning evidence to authorities.
Nearly nine years after his divorce, 39-year-old Michael David McKee now stands accused of executing his ex-wife and her husband of nearly five years.
'We will continue to honor their lives and the light they brought into this world.'
Spencer and Monique Tepe were found dead on Dec. 30 at their home in the Weinland Park neighborhood of Columbus.
Citing court documents, WCMH-TV reported that the grisly discovery came after Columbus police received a 911 call at 9:03 a.m. Dec. 30 from a co-worker of Spencer Tepe, who was concerned that he had not shown up for work that morning.
"He's been reliable, and we cannot get in touch with him, his wife, his family, anybody that lives in that house," the co-worker stated. "He is always on time, and he would contact us if there's any issues. ... We're very, very concerned, and this is very out of character, and we can't get in touch with his wife, which is probably the more concerning thing."
During a wellness check, police reportedly discovered the couple's bodies.
Citing police records, WSYX-TV reported that Spencer Tepe was shot multiple times, and Monique Tepe had at least one gunshot wound to the chest.
The affidavit said the couple's two children, ages 1 and 4, and the family dog were found in the house unharmed.
Police records said there were no obvious signs of forced entry into the Tepes' home, and no firearm was found at the crime scene.
McKee was arrested Saturday morning in Rockford, Illinois, according to jail records from the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators zeroed in on a critical detail to locate the suspected killer.
Surveillance video recorded near the crime scene showed a person of interest walking in an alley, WBNS-TV reported, adding that detectives believed the video linked McKee to a car that arrived shortly before the shooting and left moments afterward.
Police later tracked the vehicle nearly 400 miles away in Rockford where Illinois officers confirmed the vehicle was registered to McKee, according to court documents.
Citing the affidavit, the New York Times reported that police said evidence indicated McKee had been "in possession" of the vehicle before and after the deadly shootings.
Records show McKee, a vascular surgeon, holds active medical licenses in Illinois and California, the Times added.
McKee initially was charged with two counts of murder in the couple's deaths.
But on Monday, the charges against McKee were upgraded to premeditated, aggravated murder, records show.
The Columbus Division of Police told CNN that "detectives believe they met the elements" for McKee to face the more serious offense but did not specify what those elements are.
Premeditated, aggravated murder is a more serious offense and carries a possible life sentence without parole or the death penalty. That’s compared to 15 years to life in prison for murder.
Murder charges require prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant "purposely cause[d] the death of another," according to the Ohio Revised Code.
For aggravated murder, the state must prove the defendant committed the killing with "prior calculation and design," according to the Ohio Revised Code.
Aggravated murder also can apply if the death occurred during the course of committing a separate serious crime, such as rape or burglary.
McKee waived his right to an extradition hearing, according to CNN, which noted: "A public defender representing McKee requested a speedy return to Ohio to plead not guilty in the case."
The Tepe family said McKee's arrest represents an important step toward justice for Monique and Spencer.
The family said in a statement to WLS-TV, "Monique and Spencer remain at the center of our hearts, and we carry forward their love as we surround and protect the two children they leave behind. We will continue to honor their lives and the light they brought into this world."
The family also stressed, "Nothing can undo the devastating loss of two lives taken far too soon, but we are grateful to the city of Columbus Police Department, its investigators, and assisting law enforcement community whose tireless efforts helped to capture the person involved."
McKee married Monique Tepe — who was using her maiden name of Sabaturski at the time — on Aug. 22, 2015, according to court documents reviewed by USA Today. The couple divorced in May 2017, the documents note.
The pair had no children together, records show.
Monique and Spencer Tepe married in December 2020, according to their obituary, which reads, "Spencer and Monique met online and quickly grew their relationship into a solid foundation of love and respect with a side of goofiness."
The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.
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Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon were imprisoned for this. Turning tables.
The FBI searched the home of a Washington Post reporter, reportedly seizing a couple of her electronic devices.
The news outlet claimed that federal agents on Wednesday morning searched the home of Hannah Natanson, a Washington, D.C.-based reporter. Natanson has been responsible for “high-profile and sensitive coverage” of the federal government during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term in office, according to the Post.
'The alleged leaker was arrested this week and is in custody.'
The FBI reportedly searched Natanson’s electronic devices, seizing her phone and Garmin watch.
The Post alleged that the recent raid was a part of an ongoing investigation into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a government contractor.
Perez-Lugones, a Maryland resident, is accused of unlawfully retaining national defense information, according to court records. He previously served in the U.S. Navy and held a Top Secret security clearance. Since leaving the military in 2002, he has worked as a government contractor in various capacities.
A January 9 affidavit described Perez-Lugones as currently working as a systems engineer and information technology specialist for a government contracting company based in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. His role allows him to maintain a Top Secret security clearance with access to information related to “intelligence sources, methods, and analytical processes,” which he has maintained since at least 2000, the court document read.
RELATED: SCANDAL: ICE has a leak problem
Photo by Andrew Leyden/Getty Images
In October, Perez-Lugones allegedly took screenshots of a Top Secret report, pasted the images into a Microsoft Word document, and printed it. He was also accused of writing classified information on a yellow notepad and taking the sheets of paper home on January 7. The following day, authorities searched Perez-Lugones’ home, allegedly discovering multiple documents that were marked as Secret, including a document found in his lunch box.
“One or more of these documents are related to national defense,” the affidavit read.
However, the criminal complaint did not accuse Perez-Lugones of disseminating any classified information to a reporter.
Perez-Lugones’ attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.
Kash Patel. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
In December, Natanson published a report at the Post titled, “I am The Post’s ‘federal government whisperer.’ It’s been brutal,” in which she described receiving messages from more than 1,000 current or former federal government workers eager to share how Trump's leadership had negatively impacted workplace policies.
“People inside government agencies weren’t supposed to tell me about any of that,” Natanson wrote in the report, referring to articles in the Post that originated from tips she received from government workers.
When reached for comment, the FBI referred Blaze News to Director Kash Patel’s X post addressing the Wednesday search.
“This morning the @FBI and partners executed a search warrant of an individual at the Washington Post who was found to allegedly be obtaining and reporting classified, sensitive military information from a government contractor — endangering our warfighters and compromising America’s national security. The alleged leaker was arrested this week and is in custody. As this is an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment,” Patel wrote.
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