Australian Federal Police removed two Labor politicians' text messages from evidence gathered at the home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst, it has been reported.
Officers had initially intended to seize from Ms Smethurst's phone text exchanges with Labor MPs Richard Marles and Murray Watt found during the AFP's raid in Canberra last week, News Corp reported.
However a senior AFP officer said "we don't want politicians" and told a junior colleague to leave text conversations with politicians out of the evidence.
Senator Watt had during Senate estimates followed up on Ms Smethurst's story about a plan for authorities to spy on Australians, while Ms Smethurst had contacted Mr Marles for comment.
There were other unrelated text messages with politicians on Ms Smethurst's phone.
