Court 'unlikely' to save ex-Fox News host in press freedom 'showdown' under Trump: report

Ex-Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge is subject to fines and possible jail time as a federal appeals court "appears unlikely to rescue" the conservative journalist for "refusing" to reveal her sources for reports about a Chinese American scientist who was probed by the FBI, Politico reports.

When Donald Trump succeeds Joe Biden in January, Politico reports the MAGA leader "could order the Justice Department to settle an underlying lawsuit filed by the woman, Yanping Chen," which "would wipe away the fines and any other punishment against Herridge."

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Politico reports:

Herridge relied on one or more anonymous sources for several 2017 stories about potential national security risks related to a Virginia school that was founded by Chen and attended by many members of the U.S. military whose tuition was paid by taxpayers. Herridge published details about an FBI investigation into Chen, including photos of her in a People’s Liberation Army uniform.

Chen, who says leaks about the probe damaged her reputation, sued several federal agencies over the disclosures. As part of that lawsuit, she issued a subpoena to Herridge to try to force her to disclose her source. Herridge refused.

The president-elect "has long praised and amplified Herridge’s reporting on other topics," the news outlet reports, "especially her stories that raised questions about the investigations he faced in 2017 and 2018 over his presidential campaign’s contacts with Russia."

Herridge's legal fight "could become the first big showdown over press freedom during" Trump's second administration, Politico notes.

Politico's full report is available at this link.