The US Supreme Court has declined to halt the imposition of a daily fine of $800 on former journalist Catherine Herridge, who was held in contempt by a lower court for refusing to disclose her confidential sources.
Justice Kavanaugh dissented from the decision, but the court's decision will allow the lower court's order to take effect. Herridge, a prominent reporter known for her work on national security and intelligence, was held in contempt in 2024 for her refusal to unmask her confidential sources related to a story on China's infiltration of US universities.
In August 2024, US District Court for the District of Columbia ordered Herridge to sit down for a sworn deposition regarding a confidential source she used for a 2017 story on a Department of Defense-funded school that was at the center of federal investigations over Chinese military ties.
Herridge argued that she should not be forced to disclose her source because of her First Amendment rights, but the judge disagreed and ordered her to unmask her source. The judge recognized the importance of a free press and the role of confidential sources in investigative journalism, but ultimately concluded that the defendant's need for the evidence outweighed Herridge's qualified First Amendment privilege.
Herridge refused to disclose her sources during the deposition, and the judge held her in contempt, imposing a daily fine of $800. The defendant who filed the lawsuit against the FBI had asked the court to expedite the appeal, which would allow the fine to be imposed immediately.
