U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on Thursday charged prominent investigative journalist Katherine Herridge with civil contempt, according to the Associated Press.
The decision came after Herridge refused to reveal the confidential sources behind the FOX News investigative series. according to To AP. The article in question sheds light on Yangping Chen, a Chinese-American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but not charged. Cooper fined Herridge $800 per day to ensure compliance.
However, the penalty has been put on hold to give Herridge time to appeal. The newspaper said Cooper acknowledged the important role of a free press and the need for confidential sources in journalism. Still, he emphasized the court's obligation to adhere to legal standards and uphold its authority.
WASHINGTON (AP) – A judge has charged former CBS and Fox News reporter Katherine Herridge with civil contempt for refusing to reveal the source of an article.
— Alana Durkin Richer (@aedurkinricher) February 29, 2024
“While Ms. Herridge and many of her colleagues in journalism may disagree with that decision and wish to strike a different balance, it does not excuse her from violating federal court orders. “No,” Cooper wrote, the Associated Press reported.
The legal battle dates back to 2017, when Herridge, who was at Fox News at the time, said: published A series of investigative works. According to the Associated Press, these articles scrutinize Chen's alleged ties to the Chinese military and suggest that her technical school in Virginia was not a conduit for the Chinese government to access information about American military personnel. He said he had doubts. (Related: 'Shot across the bow': CBS News correspondent says there will be 'incredible legal revelations' in Hunter Biden case in 2024)
Herridge's report included material believed to have been leaked from the FBI investigation, including interview summaries, personal photos, immigration documents and documents from internal FBI presentations, the Associated Press said. Chen sued the FBI and the Department of Justice in 2018, claiming that the leaks damaged his reputation and damaged his livelihood.
Mr. Herridge was ordered to reveal his sources in a deposition in August. The court ruled that Chen's legal interests outweighed Herridge's journalistic privileges. However, Herridge upheld his First Amendment rights and refused to disclose the sources under his oath, the Associated Press reported.
According to the Associated Press, Patrick Philbin, Herridge's lawyer and former deputy White House counsel, said revealing the source would not only undermine Herridge's credibility, but also because of concerns about Chen's activities. , claimed that it posed a danger to national security. At the time of writing this article,
