Supreme Court Lets $800-a-Day Fine Hit Catherine Herridge in Source Disclosure Fight
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 2
Supreme Court Lets $800-a-Day Fine Hit Catherine Herridge in Source Disclosure Fight
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 2
Summary
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to block sanctions against Catherine Herridge, allowing an $800-a-day contempt fine to take effect over her refusal to identify a confidential source.
The dispute stems from Yanping Chen’s 2018 Privacy Act lawsuit alleging U.S. officials leaked details of an FBI investigation into her and her Virginia school to Herridge.
A federal judge in 2023 ordered Herridge to reveal her source, rejected her First Amendment arguments and held her in contempt; an appeals court later upheld that ruling.
Herridge can still ask the justices to review the underlying source-disclosure orders, but fines are expected to keep accruing and could be increased, with jail also possible as a coercive step.
Fox News called the decision a blow to source confidentiality and press freedom, while former Solicitor General Paul Clement’s recent entry signals the fight is likely to continue.