Devlin Barrett

Washington, D.C.

Reporter focusing on national security and law enforcement

Education: McGill University, BA

Devlin Barrett writes about the FBI and the Justice Department, and is the author of "October Surprise: How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election." He was part of reporting teams that won Pulitzer Prizes in 2018 and 2022. In 2017 he was a co-finalist for both the Pulitzer for Feature Writing and the Pulitzer for International Reporting. He has covered federal law enforcement for more than 20 years, and has worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and the New York Post.
Latest from Devlin Barrett

Despite Trump’s claims, killings are down. Feds credit real-time intelligence

A steep drop in crime is reversing the pandemic-era surge. Officials say the decline in homicides shows the value of focusing on speedy gun crime investigations.

September 6, 2024
D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith near the scene of a shooting that left two dead and two injured on July 18. Overall, however, Washington has seen a sharp decline in killings this year.

U.S. charges Hamas leaders with terrorism, citing Oct. 7 attack

In addition to charging Hamas leaders with terrorism, the Justice Department is investigating the killing in Gaza last week of U.S. citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

September 3, 2024
Yehiya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, greets supporters during a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City in April 2022.

Former aide to N.Y. governors charged with secretly helping China

Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, are accused of accepting millions of dollars in kickbacks in exchange for pushing political actions to benefit China.

September 3, 2024
An image contained in a federal indictment shows Linda Sun, a former top aide to two New York governors, who is charged with acting as an undisclosed agent of China. Prosecutors blurred out the faces of everyone else in the photo. (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York)

The Trump Trials: Labor Haze

The latest news in Donald Trump’s four criminal cases, including the revised D.C. indictment, the Florida appeal and efforts to delay the New York sentencing.

September 2, 2024
Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche leaves the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in May.

FBI still falls short in child sex abuse cases, inspector general says

In one egregious example, a suspect allegedly victimized a second minor after the FBI became aware of abuse allegations but failed to notify local authorities.

August 29, 2024
Disgraced former sports doctor Larry Nassar appears in court for a plea hearing on Nov. 22, 2017, in Lansing, Mich.

FBI identifies no motive or foreign links in Trump assassination attempt

Investigators found no consistent political focus for the shooter, who made more than 60 online searches about Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

August 28, 2024
Former president Donald Trump is assisted offstage after an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13.

New Trump indictment tries to salvage case after Supreme Court ruling

Special counsel Jack Smith stripped out parts of Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 indictment that could conflict with the Supreme Court immunity decision.

August 27, 2024
Special counsel Jack Smith announces the initial D.C. indictment of Donald Trump during a news conference on August 1, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Judge Cannon tossing Trump’s case raises risk for acting prosecutors

Judge Aileen Cannon’s ruling in Trump’s case could jeopardize not just future special counsels, but any acting federal prosecutor or senior official, experts say.

August 26, 2024
Special counsel Jack Smith and U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.

Jack Smith appeals Judge Cannon decision to throw out Trump case

The dismissal of Donald Trump’s indictment “conflicts with an otherwise unbroken course of decisions, including by the Supreme Court,” the appeal says.

August 26, 2024
Special counsel Jack Smith prepares to announce an indictment of Donald Trump related to his alleged handling of classified documents in Washington in June 2023. (Tom Brenner for The Washington Post)

Evidence suggests Trump adviser Susie Wiles was among Iran hack targets

The Trump campaign is taking new steps to safeguard campaign communications, including telling staff not to put sensitive documents or information in emails.

August 15, 2024
Former president Donald Trump speaks with Susie Wiles, center, and others his airplane, known as “Trump Force One,” after a campaign event in Manchester, N.H., in April 2023.