The acclaimed CBS reporter who was investigating the Hunter Biden laptop scandal before she was fired last week had her personal files seized by the network in an \u201cunprecedented\u201d move, sources told The Post on Thursday.<\/strong><\/p>\n Catherine Herridge \u2014 who is the middle of a First Amendment case being closely watched by journalists nationwide \u2014 was among 20 CBS News staffers let go as part of a\u00a0larger purge of hundreds of employees at parent company Paramount Global.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Her firing had stunned co-workers, but the network\u2019s decision to hold on to her personal materials, along with her work laptop where she may have other confidential info, has left many staffers shaken, according to insiders.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so extraordinary,\u201d a source familiar with the situation told The Post, noting that the files \u2014 which are presumptively now the property of CBS News \u2014 most likely contain confidential material from Herridge\u2019s stints at both Fox and CBS.<\/strong><\/p>\n The source said the network boxed up all her personal belongings except for Herridge\u2019s notes and files and informed her that it would decide what \u2014 if anything \u2014 would be returned to her.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThey never seize documents [when you\u2019re let go],\u201d a second source close to the network said.<\/strong><\/p>\n Brit Hume posted the following on Twitter:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is just one more step in the direction of a police state where the media is controlled by the people in power.<\/p>\n The article at The New York Post concludes:<\/p>\n Jonathan Turley \u2014 a legal scholar and a former CBS legal analyst who first broke the news of Herridge\u2019s documents being seized in\u00a0an opinion piece for The Hill<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 said the timing of the journalist\u2019s termination raised suspicions.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cShe was pursuing stories that were unwelcomed by the Biden White House and many Democratic powerhouses, including\u00a0the Hur report\u00a0on Joe Biden\u2019s diminished mental capacity, the Biden corruption scandal and the Hunter Biden laptop,\u201d Turley wrote.<\/strong><\/p>\n Under normal circumstances, journalists are entitled to their notes and make available the files if needed in future ligation, but leaving sensitive documents in the hands of unnamed CBS officials, could compromise Herridge\u2019s numerous other confidential sources.<\/strong><\/p>\n It also potentially violates HIPAA laws, as her files may also contain personal and family medical records.<\/strong><\/p>\n Turley said CBS\u2019 \u201cheavy-handed approach\u201d to the files\u201d is \u201cdead wrong\u201d and that it had \u201csent a chilling signal in the ranks\u201d of the network.<\/strong><\/p>\n SAG-AFTRA, the union which represents CBS staffers, condemned the network for seizing Herridge\u2019s notes and research from her office.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThis action is deeply concerning concerning to the union because it sets a dangerous precedent for all media professionals and threatens the very foundation of the First Amendment,\u201d the union said in a statement to The Post.<\/strong><\/p>\n The union added it has been in touch with CBS News and is hopeful the matter \u201cwill be resolved shortly.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n We are in a dangerous place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" News organizations are firing employees because of law ratings. CNN, BuzzFeed, and Vice Media have all recently announced layoffs. CBS is also firing reporters. On Thursday (updated Friday), The New York Post reported the following: The acclaimed CBS reporter who … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rightwinggranny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/BritHumeCBS.jpg\")
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