CNN Guilty of Defaming Navy Vet, Must Pay $5M Damages

A Florida jury on Friday found CNN liable for defaming a U.S. Navy veteran who helped evacuate people from Afghanistan after the U.S. military withdrew from the country in 2021.

Zachary Young, a Navy veteran who later worked as a security consultant, filed the suit in 2022. His legal action claimed that his reputation was destroyed by a network report on "The Lead with Jake Tapper" that claimed he exploited desperate Afghans by charging exorbitant fees.

The report included the use of his name and photo with a label stated that Afghan evacuees were caught in a perilous “black market.”

CNN said in March 2022 that it regretted  using the term "black market," but denied defaming Young.

The jury said CNN had to pay damages totaling $5 million. There will be a second phase of the trial to determine any punitive damages.

A CNN representative said the network would not comment until the jury decided punitive damages.