Washington Times, reporter sue DHS over home search

The Washington Times and one of its former reporters are suing the Department of Homeland Security for documents and other reporting material they claim were taken by the U.S. Coast Guard during a search of the reporter's home over the summer.

Lawyers for The Washington Times and reporter Audrey Hudson filed the 66-page motion Thursday in federal court in Maryland.

Coast Guard investigators showed up at Hudson's home on Aug. 6 with papers to search the home she shares with her husband, as part of a gun investigation involving Hudson's husband, the paper claims.

According to court documents, lawyers for The Washington Times and Hudson want a federal judge to force the Coast Guard to return the items seized from her home. The lawyers also want to be able to ask a Coast Guard agent about what information from the reporter's files may have been shared with other government officials.

According to the newspaper, members from the Coast Guard and the Maryland State Police were both present during the search. The paper wants to know why agents took materials from Hudson's home that allegedly were not covered by the search warrant. The warrant had authorized the search and removal of evidence related to Hudson's husband, Paul Flanagan, which included evidence about guns and a potato launcher.

Calls to Homeland Security officials by FoxNews.com on Friday were not returned.