NewsMacroMax Blumenthal Sues Homeland Security Secretary, Alleging Laura Loomer Directed Seizure of His Phones

Max Blumenthal Sues Homeland Security Secretary, Alleging Laura Loomer Directed Seizure of His Phones

Author: Rawstory·

Key Takeaways

  • Blumenthal says federal agents seized his phones after he reported from Iran on the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
  • The lawsuit alleges that Loomer pressured Trump administration officials and influenced the seizure of his devices.
  • The complaint claims the government violated Blumenthal's First and Fourth Amendment rights.
  • Loomer urged officials online to stop Blumenthal, revoke his passport, and consider a heavily armed FBI raid on his home.
  • Blumenthal says the case is meant to challenge what he describes as the unconstitutional use of law enforcement against journalists.
Max Blumenthal Sues Homeland Security Secretary, Alleging Laura Loomer Directed Seizure of His Phones

Far-right influencer Laura Loomer is facing a series of allegations raised this week in a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration, in which the plaintiff accuses her of acting as an "unregistered" foreign lobbyist.

On Thursday, The Grayzone revealed that its editor, Max Blumenthal, had filed a lawsuit against Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin after Blumenthal's phones were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents last month. The lawsuit, filed by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, alleges that the Trump administration violated Blumenthal's First and Fourth Amendment rights at the direction of Loomer.

Blumenthal's complaint says the episode involved a broader pressure campaign around his reporting, which drew attention after his travel to Iran to cover the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In that context, the suit argues that the seizure of his devices raises questions about whether public calls made by Loomer were followed by federal action.

"Was the order to seize my devices delivered under pressure from unregistered Israel and Ukraine lobbyist Laura Loomer, who boasted about calling Trump cabinet officials to demand I be jailed for my reporting from Iran, and effectively took credit for the confiscation of my devices?" Blumenthal asked Thursday evening in a social media post on X.

"We're filing this lawsuit to answer that question, and to prevent the unconstitutional weaponization of federal law enforcement against journalists whose reporting complicates their malign, Israeli-directed agenda."

As cited in the lawsuit, Loomer led an aggressive and public campaign against Blumenthal in response to the journalist having traveled to Iran to report on the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In one social media post, Loomer urged Mullin to have Blumenthal "taken off the plane by US Marshalls when he lands back in the US" and to "revoke his passport." In another, she urged the FBI to conduct a "heavily armed raid" on his home at 5 a.m. After Blumenthal's phones were seized, she indicated she had insider knowledge of the FBI's interest in him.

While Loomer holds no official position within the Trump administration, she has wielded "breathtaking influence" in the White House, playing an outsized role in the administration's mass firings and immigration policies.

A self-described "proud Islamophobe", Loomer has a long history of remarks that critics have labeled overtly racist and bigoted, particularly against Muslims, whom she has called "savages." Her racially charged comments have also extended to other ethnicities, including Indians: she once warned that the White House would "smell like curry" if former Vice President Kamala Harris — whose mother was Indian — won the 2024 presidential election.

When federal agents seized my phones at Dulles Airport, they flagrantly violated several 4th circuit rulings which explicitly forbid advanced forensic searches of devices without a warrant or individualized suspicion. Was the order to seize my devices delivered under pressure… — Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 20, 2026