Herridge stated that she had compelling evidence in early October 2020, which she presented to CBS News executive Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews and "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell. The evidence reportedly included documents detailing a "million dollar retainer from a Chinese energy firm" as well as business communications involving Joe Biden's son.

However, Herridge was taken aback when she watched "60 Minutes" later that October. Correspondent Lesley Stahl declared that the laptop "couldn't be verified" during a tense interview with then-President Donald Trump. Herridge, who was controversially terminated by CBS in February, recounted in her newsletter feeling "sick" because she knew the contents of the laptop could indeed be verified. She was also puzzled by what she described as a "disconnect" between her work and the approach "60 Minutes" was taking.

Ten days after the Stahl segment, Ciprian-Matthews inquired about Herridge's confirmed findings for potential inclusion in O'Donnell's broadcast. Herridge assured her that she had meticulously corroborated the materials, including documents linking Hunter Biden to the Chinese energy firm, communications with his former business partner Tony Bobulinski, and various text messages.

Even though Herridge provided vetted records directly to Ciprian-Matthews, her reporting was never aired. She found it odd that CBS News did not pursue further investigations into the laptop story, which would have been standard practice. At that time, mainstream media largely ignored the laptop story, with The Post being a notable exception.

It took CBS an additional two years to air a forensic review confirming the authenticity of the Hunter Biden laptop data, finally doing so in November 2022, after the midterm elections. Herridge continued to advocate for her report, which concluded that the data was indeed Hunter Biden's and had not been tampered with.

Upon her termination, CBS News confiscated Herridge's reporting materials, a decision reportedly made by Ciprian-Matthews, though the files were returned after union pressure. Earlier this year, The Post revealed that Ciprian-Matthews had been accused of sidelining white journalists and blocking Herridge's reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop. Ciprian-Matthews stepped down in August, transitioning to a role focusing on the 2024 presidential election before her planned exit from the company afterward.