Court records or official statements from CNN

CNN Found Liable for Defaming Navy Veteran on Jake Tapper's Show, Ordered to Pay $5 Million

Jan 17, 2025, 06:24 PM

CNN has been found liable for defamation against Zachary Young, a U.S. Navy veteran who helped evacuate people from Afghanistan after the U.S. military withdrawal in 2021. In a trial that scrutinized CNN's reporting tactics, particularly a segment aired on Jake Tapper's show, a Florida jury awarded Young $5 million in compensatory damages after more than eight hours of deliberation and determined that punitive damages were warranted. The defamation case stemmed from a 2021 CNN report suggesting that Young was operating an illegal "black market" operation charging Afghans thousands of dollars for evacuation services. During the trial, CNN's lead counsel was forced to apologize to Young in court, and the judge criticized the network's legal team, questioning CNN's credibility. CNN and Young later reached a settlement on punitive damages, ending the trial.