Fired CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge reveals photos of files on Hunter Biden, Covid origins seized by network: ‘Attack on investigative journalism’
It’s been a year since CBS News returned Catherine Herridge’s investigative files, and the veteran journalist is making sure everyone knows exactly what was taken.
Herridge, the award-winning investigative reporter who was unceremoniously let go last February in CBS’s cost-cutting purge, posted photos of the confidential documents the network seized—revealing that they contained sensitive reporting on Covid-19’s origins and Hunter Biden.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Herridge wrote, “Today, I am releasing photos of the records for the first time so you can see the sheer volume involved.”
The pictures showed an avalanche of paperwork, including stacks of folders next to a Home Depot-branded moving box. According to Herridge, CBS had seized four massive boxes weighing over 100 pounds in total. She minced no words, calling the act a “journalistic rape” and “an attack on investigative journalism.”
“I hope no investigative reporter has to suffer a similar injustice in the future,” she added.
CBS News, for its part, declined to comment—perhaps hoping this firestorm would burn out on its own. But it hasn’t.
A high-stakes showdown
The saga ignited a political and media firestorm, leading to a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing titled “Fighting for a Free Press: Protecting Journalists and Their Sources.” Herridge testified, shedding light on her legal battles—including being held in contempt of court for refusing to disclose sources related to a national security story.
Eventually, under mounting pressure from SAG-AFTRA, the union representing media professionals, CBS gave in and returned her files. Herridge thanked the union for backing her up when CBS wouldn’t, writing, “SAG-AFTRA stood up for journalism when CBS News executives seized my reporting files.”
The Hunter Biden blackout
Herridge’s tenure at CBS was far from smooth sailing. A former Fox News staple, she joined CBS in 2019 and quickly ran into roadblocks when trying to report on Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop.
Back in October 2020, Herridge unearthed evidence showing Hunter Biden’s million-dollar retainer from a Chinese energy firm, among other business dealings. But when she brought her findings to CBS executives—including then-SVP Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews and anchor Norah O’Donnell—her reporting was buried.
As she watched “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl dismiss the laptop’s contents as unverified during an interview with then-President Donald Trump, Herridge recalled feeling “sick.” It wasn’t until two years later—after the 2022 midterms—that CBS finally acknowledged the laptop was legitimate.
CBS under fire
CBS News has faced increasing scrutiny over allegations of bias. Last October, the network aired a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, during which her answers on Israel policy were mysteriously edited—leading to a lawsuit from Donald Trump. He alleges that CBS deceptively cut the footage to make Harris appear more articulate. The lawsuit seeks a jaw-dropping $20 billion in damages.
This week, reports surfaced that Trump and CBS’s parent company, Paramount, have agreed to bring in a third-party mediator in an attempt to settle the case out of court.
As for Herridge, she’s far from done. Now running her own Substack, she remains a thorn in the side of legacy media, proving that investigative journalism isn’t dead—it just needs a new home.
