CBS News finally returns Catherine Herridge's confidential files, but important questions remain unanswered

CBS News has finally returned Catherine Herridge's confidential files and records.

After terminating Herridge two weeks ago, CBS News came under fire when law professor Jonathan Turley revealed that CBS News officials retained possession of Herridge's confidential records stored in her office, prompting intervention from Herridge's union, SAG-AFTRA. CBS News confirmed it had possession of the files but denied that their security was compromised.

On Monday, the union announced that CBS News finally returned the files and records to Herridge.

"SAG-AFTRA is pleased to confirm that earlier today a representative of our union monitored the return of several boxes containing Catherine Herridge's reporting materials from her CBS News office in Washington, D.C," the union said in a statement. "Herridge is currently reviewing the materials."

Importantly, the union pointed out that CBS News' "reversal" only happened "after SAG-AFTRA's intervention and widespread media coverage."

For its part, CBS News claimed File-gate was normal, stemming from a "standard HR conversation about materials in her office," a network representative said.

Unfortunately for CBS News, the decision to terminate Herridge and retain control of her confidential files for about two weeks post-termination is raising eyebrows and, now, drawing scrutiny from Congress.

Last week, the House Judiciary Committee sent CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews a letter informing her the committee is launching an investigation into Herridge's termination and the retention of her records.

The committee is asking important questions and demanding answers from CBS News, including why Herridge was terminated, why her files were retained, who had access to her records after she was terminated, and whether her files were accessed in any way after Herridge was terminated.

"The unprecedented actions of CBS News threaten to chill good journalism and ultimately weaken our nation's commitment to a free press," Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) wrote in the letter.

Herridge has not spoken publicly about her termination or the controversy surrounding her files, except to share updates from her union.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!