US reporter urges supreme court to halt ruling forcing her to reveal sources or pay $800-a-day fine

Veteran investigative journalist Catherine Herridge faces a steep $800 daily fine unless she reveals her sources for stories published in 2017. A US district court judge initially held Herridge in civil contempt, a decision that has persisted through the appeals process.

On Tuesday, the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit denied Herridge’s request to stay the contempt ruling. Her legal team has now filed a petition with the US Supreme Court, seeking a final maneuver to prevent the penalty. Prominent appellate attorney Paul D Clement is representing Herridge in this latest effort.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has issued a temporary stay, ordering the opposing party, Chinese American scientist Yanping Chen, to respond by July 1. Fox News, Herridge's former employer, expressed pleasure with the temporary stay, reaffirming its commitment to the First Amendment and reporters' ability to protect their sources.

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We are pleased with the supreme court’s decision to temporarily stay the deeply troubling contempt order. Fox News stands firmly behind the first amendment and the principle that reporters must be able to do their jobs without the threat of crippling fines or forced exposure of their sources.

The case originated from a privacy act lawsuit filed by Chen, who seeks to identify the source of information about a US government investigation into her background and an educational program. Herridge, who later worked for CBS News, maintains that revealing her sources would betray her responsibility as a national security journalist. Press freedom groups support her stance, emphasizing the lack of a federal shield law, which leaves reporters covering sensitive national stories in a precarious position.

It remains unclear whether Herridge or Fox News would be responsible for the daily fine. The Freedom of the Press Foundation's chief of advocacy, Seth Stern, expressed hope that the Supreme Court will seriously consider Herridge's petition, potentially setting a precedent for journalistic source protection.

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The supreme court should use this opportunity to make clear