Catherine Herridge Discusses How Executives Stalled Her Coverage Of Hunter Biden’s Laptop

Delay in Hunter Biden Laptop Report by CBS News

Former CBS investigative reporter Katherine Herridge revealed on Thursday that CBS News executives have postponed the airing of her report concerning Hunter Biden’s laptop. Herridge, who transitioned to independent journalism after being let go by CBS in February 2024, has had some contentious moments with the network’s leadership while also entangled in a legal dispute over source disclosures.

In a video that was shared on X, she noted her disagreement with CBS executives regarding the timing of the Hunter Biden laptop report. “When we created this story, we did it after the (2022) midterm elections,” she stated. “I was against it because I’ve been trained that you should be ready before the midterms and always do the story when you’re ready. It shouldn’t be dictated by the political cycle.”

Herridge expressed that, after hearing about the laptop in morning news broadcasts, she believed there was more depth to uncover. “For example, in some text messages, the N-word is used, and it’s used frequently,” she added.

In October 2020, the Daily Caller News Foundation confirmed that certain materials from the laptop were genuine. By March 2022, both the Washington Post and the New York Times had verified the authenticity of the data in connection with the Justice Department’s investigation into Biden.

Before addressing the delays, Herridge detailed the significant efforts she made to obtain what she called “the cleanest copy” of the laptop’s data.

Hunter Biden faced a jury in June 2024, which convicted him on three felony firearm charges due to a Colt .38 revolver he purchased in 2018. He later pleaded guilty to federal tax charges just before his trial was set to begin in September 2024; however, his father, former President Joe Biden, granted him clemency on December 1, 2024.

Additionally, Herridge encountered civil contempt charges after refusing to comply with an order from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to disclose the source of a 2017 Fox News report concerning an individual being investigated for espionage related to China. She also testified before the House Judiciary Committee regarding her legal struggles and subsequent firing from CBS.

Following these events, Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, was acquired by Skydance, with Bari Weiss, co-founder of Free Press, appointed as the new editor-in-chief of CBS News.