Is US Journalist Herridge Being Purged for Digging Into the Bidens' Cases?

Investigative reporter Catherine Herridge, who dug into the Hunter Biden case, reportedly had her files, laptop and records, including information on privileged sources, seized by CBS after she was abruptly laid off by the company.

Catherine Herridge, a seasoned Emmy-winning investigative reporter, was laid off by CBS on February 13 among 20 others as part of parent company Paramount Global's reported staff cuts.

Her firing surprised her co-workers given that she "broke news regularly" and "did a lot of original reporting". What stunned them even more was the broadcaster's alleged decision to seize the investigative journalist's personal materials along with her work laptop, where she could have had confidential information.

Prominent US legal expert Jonathan Turley called the move unprecedented in his op-ed for the Hill.

"The position of CBS has alarmed many, including the union, as an attack on free press principles by one of the nation’s most esteemed press organizations," the lawyer pointed out. Turley went on to say that CBS had never previously resorted to such draconian measures, citing a former broadcaster manager.

Labor union the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strongly condemned "CBS News' decision to seize Catherine Herridge's reporter notes and research from her office, including confidential source information" on February 23.

Turley drew attention to the fact that the timing of Herridge's lay-off raised suspicions given that the journalist investigated issues "that were unwelcomed by the Biden White House and many Democratic powerhouses."

Turley pointed out that some of the stories covered by Herridge were the Special Counsel Robert Hur report on Joe Biden’s diminished mental capacity, the Biden family corruption scandal and the Hunter Biden laptop "from hell". The legal expert noted that the journalist repeatedly faced pushback from CBS executives over these topics.

The Post cited assumptions that Herridge's sacking could have been linked to her recent reporting that Joe Biden may have evidence that he had foreign business dealings during his vice presidency.

Indeed, on February 13, Herridge tweeted that the GOP-led congressional committee requires the Biden/Hur interview transcript by February 19, since "there is concern that President Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings." She added below: "Reaching out to the White House, House Democrats and Hunter Biden legal team for comment."

Herridge's files seized by the network may have contained information about her confidential sources, highlighted Turley. "When sources accept confidentiality assurances, it is an understanding that rests with the reporter," he stressed.

"CBS is suggesting that it will allow unnamed individuals to rifle through Herridge’s files to determine what will remain with the network and what will be returned to the reporter. That could fundamentally alter how reporters operate and how willing sources are to trust assurances that they will be protected," the legal expert noted, adding that the union "may have no choice but to go to court to force CBS to protect journalistic values."

CBS' "unprecedented" move against Herridge came amid the bipartisan establishment's fierce criticism and smearing of US journalist Tucker Carlson for interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin. Likewise, it coincided with Washington's attempts to finally imprison WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is currently held in a UK high-security prison. In all these cases, Western journalists face "punishment" for nothing but maintaining their right to freedom of speech.