The Supreme Court has declined an emergency appeal by former Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge to stop an $800-a-day judge's fine if she refuses to reveal her confidential source for stories about a Chinese-American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged.

The high court announced the decision Thursday. 

The fine is in connection with Herridge, a veteran investigative reporter, being held in civil contempt as part of a lawsuit that scientist Yanping Chen filed against the U.S. government over the leak, according to the Associated Press. 

The stories were published by Fox in 2017 and examined Chen’s ties to the Chinese military and raised questions about whether she was using a professional school she founded in Virginia to help the Chinese government get information about American military members.

Chief Justice John Roberts had put a short-term hold on the fine as the court considered the appeal. But on Thursday, the court said it was denying Herridge’s attempt to stay the fine. 

Herridge is accusing the government of violating the Privacy Act, which prohibits the public disclosure of private information about individuals without their consent. She was interviewed under oath in the case. But she declined to answer questions about her sources, which led to a judge holding her in contempt. The fine was set to begin after the order was upheld by an appeals court panel, the news wire service also reports.