A Florida jury on Friday found TV news provider 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.
The six-person jury said CNN had to pay damages totaling $5 million. There will be a second phase of the trial to determine any punitive damages. The verdict followed a two-week trial in Panama City, Florida, state court.
Plaintiff Zachary Young sued CNN in 2022, accusing the Warner Bros Discovery unit of destroying his reputation in a segment on “The Lead with Jake Tapper” by branding him as a profiteer who exploited desperate Afghans by charging exorbitant fees.CNN stood by its story and denied defaming Young, though the network said in March 2022 that it regretted using the term “black market” to describe Young’s work.
The case stems from Young’s work as a security consultant helping corporations and charities extract people from Afghanistan after the Taliban swiftly took back control following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal. In a segment on The Lead, CNN said “desperate Afghans” trying to escape the country were being “exploited” with “exorbitant” and “impossible” fees charged for evacuations.
“The sum and substance of the segment states and implies that Young marketed evacuations directly to Afghan citizens, that he exploited Afghan citizens, and that he sold them illegal goods/services on a black market,” Young said in his lawsuit. Young’s lawyers said CNN’s characterization of his work as illegal or exploitative was false and that he told the network repeatedly that he only worked with corporations and non-governmental groups trying to get their people out. The high prices were due to high demand, Young said.
Young said the CNN segment destroyed his reputation and career, causing depression and panic attacks and depriving him of millions of dollars in income. To prevail in the case, Young had to prove CNN knew or should have known its reporting was false but published it anyway. He also sought punitive damages, which are intended to punish defendants and required Young to prove CNN intended to harm him.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cnn-found-liable-for-defaming-us-navy-veteran-who-helped-people-evacuate-afghanistan/ar-AA1xobOz?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=4703b7a21c8243d299409050
Remember - CNN made this "the story" when Biden pulled US troops out and left US employees and technicians behind to face the tender mercies of the Taliban. CNN was desperate to divert attention from the Biden fiasco of fleeing from an occupation with no notice or forethought in what might happen to those that collaborated with the US. In their determination to create a new villian to divert US attention (LOOK SQUIRREL!) they went after the very people that were trying to save the lives of the people Biden left to die.
My understanding is that liable was proven when reporters were forced to turn over text messages in which they bragged about how they were going to "get" Young and make him pay.
The six-person jury said CNN had to pay damages totaling $5 million. There will be a second phase of the trial to determine any punitive damages. The verdict followed a two-week trial in Panama City, Florida, state court.
Plaintiff Zachary Young sued CNN in 2022, accusing the Warner Bros Discovery unit of destroying his reputation in a segment on “The Lead with Jake Tapper” by branding him as a profiteer who exploited desperate Afghans by charging exorbitant fees.CNN stood by its story and denied defaming Young, though the network said in March 2022 that it regretted using the term “black market” to describe Young’s work.
The case stems from Young’s work as a security consultant helping corporations and charities extract people from Afghanistan after the Taliban swiftly took back control following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal. In a segment on The Lead, CNN said “desperate Afghans” trying to escape the country were being “exploited” with “exorbitant” and “impossible” fees charged for evacuations.
“The sum and substance of the segment states and implies that Young marketed evacuations directly to Afghan citizens, that he exploited Afghan citizens, and that he sold them illegal goods/services on a black market,” Young said in his lawsuit. Young’s lawyers said CNN’s characterization of his work as illegal or exploitative was false and that he told the network repeatedly that he only worked with corporations and non-governmental groups trying to get their people out. The high prices were due to high demand, Young said.
Young said the CNN segment destroyed his reputation and career, causing depression and panic attacks and depriving him of millions of dollars in income. To prevail in the case, Young had to prove CNN knew or should have known its reporting was false but published it anyway. He also sought punitive damages, which are intended to punish defendants and required Young to prove CNN intended to harm him.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cnn-found-liable-for-defaming-us-navy-veteran-who-helped-people-evacuate-afghanistan/ar-AA1xobOz?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=LCTS&cvid=4703b7a21c8243d299409050
Remember - CNN made this "the story" when Biden pulled US troops out and left US employees and technicians behind to face the tender mercies of the Taliban. CNN was desperate to divert attention from the Biden fiasco of fleeing from an occupation with no notice or forethought in what might happen to those that collaborated with the US. In their determination to create a new villian to divert US attention (LOOK SQUIRREL!) they went after the very people that were trying to save the lives of the people Biden left to die.
My understanding is that liable was proven when reporters were forced to turn over text messages in which they bragged about how they were going to "get" Young and make him pay.
statistics: Posted by Hockeygoon — 9:56 PM - 1 day ago — Replies 1 — Views 42