Jury: CNN Defamed Navy Veteran, Damages of $5 Million

A jury found that CNN committed defamation against U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young and is responsible for punitive damages on Friday. They only deliberated for eight hours.

He sued for $1 billion.

Young said that CNN smeared him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the “black market” during the Biden administration’s military withdrawal from the country in 2021.

Young stated that CNN “destroyed his reputation and business” by branding him an illegal profiteer” who exploited “desperate Afghans” during a November 11, 2021, segment that first aired on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper.”

The decision comes after three-plus years of litigation and a wild, sometimes chaotic, eight-day trial.

Evidence included messages from CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt saying he wanted to “nail this Zachary Young mfucker.”

14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry, who presided over the trial in Bay County, Florida, previously ruled that Young “did not act illegally or criminally” despite what the network reported on air.

Tapper and everyone connected with the story should be fired.

The Case

The case hinged on CNN’s use of the phrases “black market” and “exploited” to describe Young’s legitimate business helping corporately sponsored Afghans escape the country as it collapsed around them and the Taliban retook control. Young’s clients included Audible and Bloomberg News – one of CNN’s industry peers, and he saved 24 people.

This is Jake Tapper doing what he did and always does – reports irresponsibly:

CNN had a poor case:

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