- CNN found liable for defaming veteran Zachary Young, awarding him $5 million in damages.
- A 2021 CNN segment accused Young of exploiting Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal.
- Trial revealed CNN staff's derogatory internal messages about Young.
After two weeks in court, a Florida jury found CNN liable of defaming Zachary Young, a U.S. Navy veteran who did private evacuation work in Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal in 2021.
The six-person jury awarded Young $5 million in damages, and CNN is likely to be fined more in punitive damages as the next phase of the trial gets underway.
The CNN broadcast in question aired on “The Lead with Jake Tapper” on Nov. 11, 2021. Young accused CNN of “destroy(ing) his reputation and business” by portraying him as an “illegal profiteer” who exploited “desperate Afghans.”
Young testified in court on the impact CNN’s broadcast had on him. He said, “When somebody puts your face on CNN all over the world with the label telling the viewer what they’re seeing, and it says, ‘Black Market,’ ... it’s devastating when somebody labels you a criminal all over the world.”
“We refer to ourselves as quiet professionals,” Young continued. “We don’t look for recognition. We do hard things in hard places, dangerous places.” He said “trust is everything” in his work, and CNN’s broadcast made it impossible to continue.
What happened in the CNN segment?
Jake Tapper began the segment by saying CNN’s chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt found “Afghans trying to get out of the country face a black market full of promises, demands of exorbitant fees, and no guarantee of safety or success.”
Marquardt then explained, “desperate Afghans are being exploited” and in order to flee the country, they must pay “exorbitant, often impossible amounts.”
Then Young’s face appeared on the screen. Marquardt added that Young’s company charged $75,000 to transport a vehicle of passengers to Pakistan or $14,000 per person to the United Arab Emirates.
“Prices well beyond the reach of most Afghans,” Marquardt said.
The CNN segment showed Marquardt allegedly calling Young, who did not pick up the call.
Marquardt said Young had explained the costs to CNN when questioned about them. “In a text message, he told CNN that Afghans trying to leave are expected to have sponsors pay for them,” he said.
Internal CNN communications
During the public trial, Young’s legal team revealed CNN internal messages discussing Young. Some presented to the jury called him expletives and said he has a “punchable face,” according to Newsweek.
The team also cited a message from Marquardt himself to a colleague, saying, “We’re gonna nail this Zachary Young (expletive).”
On Monday during the trial, Marquardt said, “I wasn’t looking to take anyone down, I don’t believe I took anyone down, and I don’t believe the story was about Mr. Young.”
CNN issued an on-air apology on March 25, 2022, with Pamela Brown as a substitute anchor sitting in Tapper’s chair.