CNN finds itself in hot water yet again, this time facing a defamation lawsuit that could cost them a pretty penny.
U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young is taking the network to court, alleging they smeared his security consulting company, Nemex Enterprises Inc., in the wake of the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Young claims CNN portrayed him as some kind of opportunistic villain, exploiting desperate Afghans trying to escape the mess left behind by Biden’s botched pullout.
You might recall the segment that aired on November 11, 2021, during “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” Tapper and CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt led viewers to believe that Afghans, fleeing for their lives, were at the mercy of shady characters and black-market profiteers like Young. The story hit hard, with Marquardt throwing around phrases like “exorbitant fees” and painting Young as one of the exploiters, charging sky-high rates to desperate Afghans. Young’s face was plastered on the screen, and his company was singled out for supposedly asking for $75,000 to move passengers to Pakistan.
Here’s the thing: Young says it’s all nonsense. He claims CNN not only got the facts wrong but also ignored his efforts to correct them before the segment even aired. Imagine that—an actual message exchange between Young and Marquardt, where Young pointed out the inaccuracies, but CNN aired the hit piece anyway. Journalism at its finest, right? No wonder Young’s defamation suit is moving forward, with a civil trial now set for January 2025 in Bay County, Florida.
And here’s where it gets even juicier. As litigation advances, Young’s legal team seeks financial records to determine CNN’s net worth, and naturally, CNN’s lawyers push back. But Judge William Henry isn’t having it. He ruled that CNN must hand over sensitive financial information, albeit limited to a specific time frame—September 2021 to the present. CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, isn’t off the hook either, as the judge has given Young’s team the green light to subpoena them for additional documents.
So, while CNN tried to paint Young as a profiteer, they now find themselves in the awkward position of potentially having to open up their books. You know, those same books filled with all that cash from record profits while they lecture the rest of us on fairness and ethics. The irony is rich, isn’t it?
CNN must deliver docs dating back to 2021 as high-stakes defamation suit moves forward, judge rules
US Navy veteran Zachary Young alleges that CNN ‘destroyed his reputation’
report by @briansflood https://t.co/rxvKBJ6zLT— johnny dollar (@johnnydollar01) October 4, 2024
But that’s not all. The court also ordered CNN to provide documents related to the specific publications involved in the lawsuit, along with any subsequent republications that could demonstrate the network’s market power and influence. This lawsuit is no small matter. If CNN loses, the financial hit could be significant—after all, Young’s team is going after their ability to pay, which means they’ll be scrutinizing the company’s net worth.
It’s not every day that a big player like CNN gets called out in such a high-profile defamation case, and this one has the potential to be a media firestorm. For now, CNN is busy digging through documents while Young is preparing for what could be a major victory against one of the biggest names in the news. Stay tuned—it looks like CNN’s habit of jumping the gun on stories might just come back to bite them in court.
