Supreme Court Upholds Daily Fines for Reporter Over Source Disclosure
WHO:
Deadline - Catherine Herridge, a Fox News journalist, is involved in the case.
Alternet - Yanping Chen is the individual who filed a lawsuit against federal agencies, including the FBI, DOJ, Pentagon, and Department of Homeland Security.
WHAT:
CNN - The Supreme Court's ruling was a brief, unsigned order that did not provide an explanation for its decision.
Alternet - After losing her appeal, Chen’s lawyers could ask a judge to increase the $800 daily fine to pressure Herridge to disclose her source.
CNN - The stories relied on items leaked from the probe into statements Chen made on immigration forms related to work on a Chinese astronaut program, including snippets of an FBI document and personal photographs.
CNN - Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, stated, “Journalists facing contempt should not have to muster large payments to the court while they seek to vindicate First Amendment rights.”
CNN - The Supreme Court's ruling noted that Justice Brett Kavanaugh would have granted Herridge’s request to block the fine.
Alternet - After losing her appeal, Chen’s lawyers could ask a judge to increase the $800 daily fine to pressure Herridge to disclose her source.
CNN - Herridge published a series for Fox News in 2017 that examined Yanping Chen’s ties to the Chinese military and raised questions about her professional school in Virginia.
CNN - The six-year investigation into Chen by the FBI never resulted in charges against her.
Deadline - The Supreme Court declined Herridge's request to block a $800 per day fine imposed by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper for her refusal to disclose a source.
Alternet - Herridge faces contempt charges and has been ordered to pay a fine of $800 per day for not complying with a subpoena to reveal her source.
Alternet - The Supreme Court's ruling was a short, two-paragraph order that did not provide an explanation for its decision.
WHERE:
Alternet - The case is being heard in Washington, D.C.
WHEN:
Alternet - The contempt charges were brought against Herridge in a case initiated by Yanping Chen, who filed her lawsuit in 2018.
WHY:
CNN - Attorney Andrew Phillips stated, “Dr. Chen, like any other American citizen, is entitled to discover the identity of the federal official(s) who abused their access to an American’s private information and leaked it to cause her harm.”
CNN - Chen's lawsuit claims that her personal and professional life were disrupted due to negative media attention following the leak, leading to hate mail and death threats.
Alternet - Yanping Chen claims that leaks about an FBI investigation damaged her reputation, prompting her to sue several federal agencies for violating the Privacy Act.
HOW:
CNN - U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that Chen’s need to know her source for her lawsuit outweighed Herridge’s right to protect her source's identity.
Alternet - Herridge was subpoenaed to disclose her source as part of Chen's lawsuit, but she refused to comply, leading to the imposition of fines.
(UPDATED July 3, 2026 06:13 UTC)
The Supreme Court issued a brief, unsigned order regarding a significant case, but did not provide any explanation for its decision. Following a lost appeal, Chen’s lawyers may seek to increase the $800 daily fine in an effort to compel Herridge to reveal her source, with the case involving leaked information about Chen's immigration statements related to a Chinese astronaut program. Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, emphasized that journalists facing contempt shouldn't have to pay hefty fines while defending their First Amendment rights, echoing attorney Andrew Phillips' assertion that Chen deserves to know the identity of the federal officials who leaked her private information.
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(UPDATED July 3, 2026 01:30 UTC)
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court noted that Justice Brett Kavanaugh would have supported a request from journalist Herridge to block a daily fine of $800 imposed by a judge. This fine was part of a legal battle following Herridge's 2017 Fox News series that scrutinized Yanping Chen's connections to the Chinese military, which led to Chen facing threats and disruptions in her life due to the media attention. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper determined that Chen's need to identify her source for her lawsuit outweighed Herridge's right to keep that source confidential.
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(UPDATED July 2, 2026 23:26 UTC)
In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has declined to block a daily fine of $800 imposed on journalist Catherine Herridge for her refusal to disclose a source related to a lawsuit filed by Yanping Chen against several federal agencies, including the FBI and the DOJ. The contempt charges against Herridge stem from her non-compliance with a subpoena in Chen's case, which alleges that leaks about an FBI investigation harmed her reputation. The Supreme Court's ruling was brief and did not provide any explanation, as the case continues to unfold in Washington, D.C.