The information provided by Catherine Herridge's confidential source consisted of
leaked internal FBI records and private documents regarding Yanping Chen’s federal counterintelligence investigation. These materials, which Chen alleges were disclosed in violation of the
Privacy Act, included:
- Snippets of Chen’s immigration and naturalization forms, specifically related to her past work on a Chinese astronaut program and alleged concealment of ties to the Chinese military.
- Personal photographs of Chen and her husband, including images of her in a People’s Liberation Army uniform.
- A summary of an FBI interview conducted with Chen’s daughter during the probe.
- Excerpts from an internal FBI PowerPoint presentation created by the lead agent on the case, which detailed the investigation’s findings and internal deliberations.
Herridge used these materials in a
2017 Fox News series that questioned whether Chen had used her Virginia-based university to funnel U.S. military information to the Chinese government. The publication of these private records led to Chen’s university losing federal tuition assistance funding and subjected her to significant reputational harm, hate mail, and death threats. Chen’s lawsuit seeks to identify the source to prove that federal officials illegally leaked the information to damage her livelihood.