Catherine Herridge, the former CBS News investigative correspondent, has publicly accused her former network of defying orders to investigate the Hunter Biden laptop scandal. Herridge revealed in a video that CBS CEO George Cheeks and network owner Shari Redstone had both emphasized the story’s importance, with Cheeks explicitly urging her to prioritize the investigation. However, Herridge claims that despite these high-level instructions, internal resistance from CBS News executives led to roadblocks in her reporting.
Herridge was tasked with probing the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop, which allegedly contained evidence of business dealings tied to his father, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. She provided CBS executives with evidence, including a $1 million retainer from a Chinese energy firm, but says her findings were ignored. The investigation, which could have revealed potentially damaging information, never aired as planned.
According to Herridge, while she received support from some corners of CBS, the pushback from key executives, including Washington bureau chief Mark Lima and CBS News president Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, hindered her efforts. She was even told not to pursue certain aspects of the story, including emails potentially involving President Biden, due to the time-consuming nature of verifying the content.
The journalist expressed frustration over what she saw as a disconnect between the network’s top executives, who supported her work, and the newsroom, where her reporting was often blocked. She suggested that some senior CBS News executives felt empowered to ignore directives from Cheeks, who had been vocal about the importance of covering the story.
In addition to the internal pushback, Herridge’s career at CBS came to an abrupt end after she was laid off in early 2024. She noted the timing of her termination, which followed her coverage of a report critical of President Biden. Herridge also claimed that CBS seized her files upon her departure, though they were eventually returned after union pressure.
The former reporter’s claims highlight tensions within CBS News during the controversial coverage of the Hunter Biden laptop story, revealing deep divisions within the network over how to handle potentially politically sensitive material. Herridge’s allegations reflect a broader concern about editorial independence and the influence of corporate leadership on newsrooms.
This article was written with artificial intelligence.
