In a damning legal verdict, CNN has been ordered to pay $5 million in damages to Navy veteran Zachary Young after a jury found the network guilty of defamation.

As reported by The Gateway Pundit, the case centered on CNN’s coverage of Young’s efforts to assist Afghans during President Biden’s chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The network’s reporting, which accused Young of running a “black market” operation and exploiting desperate Afghans, was determined to have shown “actual malice” and reckless disregard for the truth.

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Young, who had been facilitating the evacuation of Afghans fleeing the Taliban, filed a lawsuit against CNN, alleging the network intentionally smeared his reputation.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper and correspondent Alex Marquardt were key figures in the reporting, which claimed Young exploited the evacuation crisis for personal gain.

Tapper even mockingly emphasized Young’s use of the word “unfortunately” in a message, implying nefarious intent behind his warning about limited evacuation resources.

The court found that CNN published the defamatory story despite being fully aware of its inaccuracies.

Evidence presented during the trial included internal CNN communications where staff acknowledged the story’s flaws.

Emails revealed concerns such as, “The story is a mess,” “80% emotion, 20% obscured fact,” and “full of holes like Swiss cheese.”

These admissions, combined with the network’s failure to address factual inaccuracies pointed out by Young before publication, led to the jury’s conclusion that CNN acted with malice.

The verdict awarded Young $4 million for financial losses suffered by his security consulting company and $1 million for emotional damages.

🚨 JUST IN: Jury holds CNN liable for the defamation of
U.S. Navy vet Zachary Young who helped with the Afghanistan evacuation – Independent

The jury awarded the man $5M in damages. pic.twitter.com/G96X2ghguu

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 17, 2025

The fallout from CNN’s reporting severely impacted Young’s business, with clients hesitant to associate with someone tarnished by accusations of exploitation.

“Young also proffered a message exchange he had with Marquardt just hours before publication where he advised there were factual inaccuracies in the reporting. CNN published anyway,” the court stated in its previous ruling.

This blatant disregard for accuracy underscored the network’s intent to damage Young’s reputation.

This case marks another blow to CNN’s credibility, particularly as the network struggles with declining ratings and accusations of partisan bias. The outcome is a victory for those who believe media outlets should be held accountable for irresponsible reporting.

🚨BREAKING: A jury has found CNN liable for defamation against Zachary Young for lying about his efforts to rescue people from Afghanistan. The jury has awarded Young $5 MILLION in compensatory damages.

Trump was right AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/az6QiNxJKG

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For Young, it’s a step toward restoring his good name and shedding light on the media’s willingness to sacrifice truth for sensationalism.