Jury finds CNN defamed Navy veteran with segment on Afghan refugees

A jury in Florida on Friday found that CNN defamed a Navy veteran with a report on his business that aired in 2021 and awarded him $5 million damages.

The plaintiff, Zachary Young, sued the network saying it harmed his business by including him in a 2021 segment about contractors who the report suggested were profiteering off Afghan refugees trying to flee the country after the Biden administration pulled U.S. forces out of the country.

The verdict came after more than eight hours of deliberation at a courthouse in Bay County, Fla., where jurors during a multiday trial were shown a string of evidence including depositions from top CNN anchor Jake Tapper and messages between reporter Alex Marquardt and Young before the segment ran.

As part of the verdict, the jury awarded Young $4 million in lost business damages and $1 million in personal damages.

The jury is also set to decide Friday afternoon on putative damages CNN must pay Young.

The outlet did not provide comment.

Topics

Florida jury convicts CNN of libeling Navy veteran in Afghan story

Zachary Young blamed CNN for destroying his business by showing his face onscreen in a story about a “black market” of smuggling out desperate Afghans for high fees.
NBC News - 10m
CNN Settles Defamation Suit After Jury Found It Liable for Smearing Navy Veteran in Afghanistan Evacuation Story

News network reached a deal with Zachary Young as it was facing potentially tens of millions of dollars in punitive damages.
The Wall Street Journal - 48m
CNN Settles Defamation Suit After Being Ordered to Pay $5 Million

The case, which involved a 2021 segment about a private security contractor in Afghanistan, played out as media organizations face more legal and political pressures.
The New York Times - 1h
CNN found liable in Florida trial for defaming Navy veteran in 2021 story

The jury deliberated for more than eight hours starting before ruling in favor of Zachary Young in his defamation suit against CNN.
CBS News - 3h
Jury finds CNN defamed security consultant in Afghanistan evacuation report

CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt defended his story on Zachary Young, a security consultant who charged $14,000 or more to evacuate people from Afghanistan.
Los Angeles Times - 1d
CNN Ordered to Pay at Least $5 Million for Defaming Security Contractor

The jury decision came after a two-week trial where lawyers for the contractor argued that the network had falsely accused him of illegal activity.
The New York Times - 5h