Catherine Herridge, former CBS correspondent, alleges the network delayed her report on Hunter Biden's laptop until after the 2022 midterms, the New York Post reported.
Catherine Herridge, a seasoned journalist, has accused her former employer, CBS News, of suppressing crucial findings related to Hunter Biden’s laptop ahead of the 2020 Presidential election. Herridge asserts she brought validated materials to her superiors, which were not aired until later.
In early October 2020, Herridge approached Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, a top CBS News executive, and anchor Norah O’Donnell with explosive content from a laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden. This included a retainer agreement worth $1 million with a Chinese energy firm.
Despite Herridge's efforts in verifying a plethora of data from the laptop, including texts and emails directly linked to Hunter Biden, her reports were sidelined. "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl publicly dismissed the laptop’s authenticity in an interview with then-President Donald Trump, claiming the information "couldn't be verified."
This statement contrasted sharply with Herridge’s confidence in the legitimacy of the findings. She detailed her extensive verification process, which involved cross-referencing court records and contacting multiple sources.
Herridge noted a significant "disconnect" in collaboration between CBS’s news division and the "60 Minutes" team, which she believed hindered further investigation and verification of her findings.
Surprisingly, Herridge observed that no investigative unit at CBS took up further exploration of the laptop’s contents during the critical pre-election period of October 2020. This was unusual, she noted, as it deviated from what she considered standard journalistic practice.
The story’s absence from the airwaves continued until long after the 2020 Presidential election, with CBS only broadcasting a forensic review of the laptop data in November 2022, following the midterm elections. The delay in coverage meant that the New York Post remained the sole major outlet to report on the laptop’s connection to Hunter Biden during the initial outbreak of the story.
Moreover, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter initially banned the sharing of the story, which was reported first by the New York Post in October 2020.
Earlier in 2023, Herridge was among several journalists let go as part of broader cuts by CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global. Upon her termination, CBS seized all her reporting materials, which were only returned following pressure from her union.
Herridge has expressed disillusionment and frustration over her experiences. “As I watched the broadcast, I felt sick,” she wrote, reflecting on the moment her work was dismissed on national television.
The tension between Herridge and her superiors, particularly with Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews who stepped down from her role as president of CBS News in August 2023, highlights deeper issues within the network concerning editorial freedom and journalistic integrity.
Herridge’s case sheds light on the challenges journalists often face when their findings might stir political or corporate discomfort. “I don’t know at this point what happened,” Herridge said, uncertain why her verified report on such a pivotal matter was stalled.
As the details of Herridge’s claims unfold, the episode raises significant questions about the influence of media executives over news content and the implications for democratic transparency.
