Dan Eggen, a veteran Washington Post editor and Pulitzer Prize winner, was found dead Tuesday at his home in Washington, DC. He was 60.
Eggen, a central figure in the Post’s political coverage, had been laid off earlier this year in a sweeping round of newsroom cuts.
Local authorities told his family no foul play was suspected; an autopsy was pending as of Wednesday morning, reports the New York Post.
Over nearly three decades at the Post, Eggen helped shape reporting on the White House, Congress and presidential campaigns.
He shared Pulitzers in 2002 for coverage of the 9/11 plotters, in 2016 for reporting on Russian election interference, and in 2022 for coverage of the Capitol attack.
“He was a sharp editor with a keen story sense,” executive editor Matt Murray told staff, noting Eggen’s role in hiring, editing and mentoring dozens of politics reporters. “His news muscle and instincts were integral to our coverage.”
Eggen was preparing to join NOTUS, a newly launched D.C. outlet that has recruited several laid‑off Post journalists. “We hired Dan after some of the best reporters in Washington told us he was the best editor they’d ever had,” editor‑in‑chief Tim Grieve wrote on X.
“We were excited to have him here, and I think he was equally excited to be coming. Deepest condolences to everyone who loved him.”
Colleagues recalled Eggen’s relentless work ethic and collaborative style. Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey described him as “incredibly dedicated, a wonderful line editor” who worked “seven days a week, 14 hours a day” and pushed reporters to improve.
“I viewed him as one of the true beating hearts of the newsroom … Dan is one of those people who make the newspaper work,” Dawsey said.
Ashley Parker, a former Post White House reporter now at The Atlantic, remembered Eggen as “the rare editor who believed in his reporters” and said he “changed only 10 percent of your copy but made it 90 percent better.”
Eggen began his career at the Post as a metro reporter before covering the Justice Department in the aftermath of 9/11.
He is survived by two children from his ex‑wife, journalist Stephanie Armour, and a sister, according to the Post. The paper has sought comment from local police.
