Fox News journalist Catherine Herridge’s legal team has asked a US court to stay an impending fine of $800 per day, which is set to start on July 1. The fine was imposed after the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a ruling that required Herridge to reveal her sources for stories published in 2017 about Yanping Chen, a naturalized US citizen.
Herridge’s attorney has filed a petition with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who has granted a temporary stay of the appeal. This gives Chen until July 1 to respond to the ruling.
Fox News has welcomed the court’s decision, stating that they stand firmly behind the First Amendment and the principle that journalists should not be threatened by crippling fines or forced disclosure of their sources.
Chen’s attorney, Andy Phillips, argues that the lower courts have ruled five times that Herridge does not have a privilege to protect her sources. He believes the Supreme Court will reach the same conclusion.
In February 2024, Judge Christopher R. Cooper found Herridge in contempt for refusing to reveal her source. The story involved an FBI investigation into Chen’s affiliations with the Chinese military.
Source: https://deadline.com/2026/06/catherine-herridge-petitions-supreme-court-halt-800-daily-fine-1236968878