Multiple establishment media outlets expressed concern over reports that CBS had confiscated the personal files of a respected investigative journalist the network laid off last week.
Catherine Herridge was one of about 20 CBS News employees let go last week as part of efforts by parent company Paramount Global to reduce costs, and law professor Jonathan Turley claimed in an opinion piece written for The Hill that several sources at the company had told him that CBS “took the unusual step of seizing her files, computers and records, including information on privileged sources.”
CBS, however, denied having seized the files and said that it was waiting to hear from Herridge to finalize the details of getting her material to her.
“Catherine’s personal belongings were delivered to her home one week ago, and we are prepared to pack up the rest of her files immediately on her behalf — with her representative present as she requested. We are awaiting a response from Catherine and/or her representative to do so,” the outlet said in a statement cited by multiple reports.
“We have respected her request to not go through the files, and out of our concern for confidential sources, the office she occupied has remained secure since her departure,” CBS added.
Statement from CBS News: “Catherine’s personal belongings were delivered to her home one week ago, and we are prepared to pack up the rest of her files immediately on her behalf – with her representative present as she requested. We are awaiting a response from Catherine and/or… https://t.co/vYr5IJ1X7D
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) February 22, 2024
The New York Post said its own sources had also said that Herridge’s personal files had been “seized” by CBS.
According to the Post, the former Fox News reporter had been investigating the Hunter Biden laptop scandal when she was let go.
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Turley noted that Herridge had been looking into other stories that the current administration might not have viewed favorably, as well.
“The timing of Herridge’s termination immediately raised suspicions in Washington,” he wrote in his column. “She was pursuing stories that were unwelcomed by the Biden White House and many Democratic powerhouses, including the Hur report on Joe Biden’s diminished mental capacity, the Biden corruption scandal and the Hunter Biden laptop.”
“She continued to pursue these stories despite reports of pushback from CBS executives, including CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews,” he added.
The George Washington University Law School professor cited several unnamed sources who he said viewed CBS’s alleged actions as problematic.
One of those sources, whom Turley described as a “former CBS journalist,” told him that a number of employees still with the outlet “are confused why [Herridge] was laid off, as one of the correspondents who broke news regularly and did a lot of original reporting.”
Another former CBS employee, this one described as a “manager,” told Turley that he had “never heard of anything like this.”
In addition to CBS employees, Herridge seemed to have their union — SAG-AFTRA — on her side. In fact, Turley predicted a potential “showdown” between the union and CBS.
“It is a matter of principle,” a union spokesperson told the law professor. “It is a matter of serious concern. We are considering all of our options.”
