A Chinese-American scientist who subpoenaed former CBS reporter Catherine Herridge in a lawsuit against the FBI asked the court to expedite an appeal so Herridge can face contempt fines of $800 a day as soon as possible.
Earlier this month, Catherine Herridge, an Emmy-winning and nominated reporter known for her work on national security and intelligence, was held in civil contempt by an Obama-appointed federal judge for her refusal to unmask her confidential sources related to a blockbuster story on how there is an infiltration from China in US universities.
In August, US District Court for the District of Columbia, Christopher Cooper, ordered Herridge to sit down for a sworn deposition regarding a confidential source she used for a 2017 story she covered on a Department of Defense-funded school that was at the center of federal investigations over Chinese military ties while she was at Fox News.
The judge ordered Herridge to turn over her source(s) in response to a lawsuit that was filed by Chinese-American scientist Yanping Chen against the FBI. Chen subpoenaed Herridge in an effort to find out who her sources were.
Herridge argued she should not be forced to disclose her source because of her First Amendment rights.
Judge Cooper, an Obama appointee, disagreed and forced Herridge to unmask her source.
“The Court recognizes both the vital importance of a free press and the critical role that confidential sources play in the work of investigative journalists like Herridge,” Cooper wrote in the ruling in August. “But applying the binding case law of this Circuit, the Court concludes that Chen’s need for the requested evidence overcomes Herridge’s qualified First Amendment privilege in this case.”
Herridge refused to disclose her sources during the deposition so she was threatened with contempt charges and potential jail time.
“With contempt proceedings now teed up, one of two outcomes appears likely: either Herridge will be held in contempt in the near future and can immediately appeal that order, or, as sometimes occurs in these cases, the sources may release Herridge from the privilege rather than watch her undergo the consequences of contempt,” Judge Cooper wrote in an order last summer.
Judge Cooper held Herridge in contempt and imposed a daily fine of $800 on her – and now the ‘scientist’ who filed the lawsuit wants the court to expedite the appeal so Herridge can face the $800 per day fines ASAP.
JUST IN: Scientist Yanping Chen asks court to expedite appeal so journalist Catherine Herridge can face contempt fines of $800 a day ASAP for refusing to name her source for a story Chen claims was based on illegal leaks from feds. Doc: https://t.co/xxFd1H7mR2
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) March 20, 2024