- Catherine Herridge was fired from CBS News earlier this month
- SAG-AFTRA, CBS’s employee union, accused the company of confiscating its banknotes
- CBS insists it did not review her notes and is willing to return them
CBS News has fired a high-profile reporter who covered investigations into the Biden family, and the network is accused of confiscating her personal notes in a move her union calls “completely inappropriate” and “highly unusual.”
Catherine Herridge, a veteran national security and intelligence reporter, was among hundreds of CBS employees fired last week by parent company Paramount.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing CBS employees, said in a statement Thursday that it “strongly condemns CBS News’ decision to seize Catherine Herridge’s reporter notes and research from her office, including confidential source information.” ‘
“This action is deeply concerning to the union as it sets a dangerous precedent for all media professionals and jeopardizes the foundation of the First Amendment,” the statement added.
However, CBS denied claims that it had unlawfully seized Herridge’s private files and told DailyMail.com that it planned to return the material to her.
Catherine Herridge, a veteran national security and intelligence reporter, was among the CBS News employees fired last week
Herridge had recently covered the House of Representatives impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and the criminal charges against Hunter Biden
“Catherine’s personal belongings were delivered to her home a week ago and we are prepared to immediately pack the remainder of her files on her behalf – with her representative present, as she requested,” a CBS News spokesperson said.
“We respected her request not to review the files, and out of concern for confidential sources, the office she occupied has remained secure since her departure,” CBS said.
The network said it is still “awaiting a response” from Herridge or her representative to arrange the transfer of files to the reporter.
Herridge had recently covered the House of Representatives impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, special counsel Robert Hur’s report on his handling of classified documents and the criminal charges against Hunter Biden.
Her involvement in recent layoffs puzzled some industry observers, as she regularly broke news and scooped scoops for CBS.
Herridge has not commented publicly on her firing other than to share it statement from the union about the case on X.
“It is completely inappropriate for an employer to fire a reporter and take the highly unusual step of retaining and searching the reporter’s files, including confidential source identification and information,” the union said.
“The retention of a media professional’s reporting materials by his former employer is a serious breach of traditional practices that support the immediate return of reporting materials,” the union added.
Herridge authenticated Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop in November 2022
In addition, Herridge is in the middle of a high-profile lawsuit over her refusal to release sources for articles she wrote in 2017.
Citing sources, the New York Post alleged that Herridge had been pursuing a story related to Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop, and that she had encountered “roadblocks” from management over her reporting on the First Son.
Herridge authenticated the laptop in November 2022, which the Post had first reported in October 2020.
In addition, Herridge is in the middle of a high-profile lawsuit over her refusal to release sources for articles she wrote in 2017.
A judge has ordered her to make public sources used in a series of articles about a Chinese-American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged with wrongdoing.
Herridge could face fines of up to $5,000 a day if she refuses to be interviewed under oath for the case.
Fox News, where she worked at the time, reimbursed her legal fees in the case.