PANAMA CITY, Fla.—Navy veteran Zachary Young warned CNN its reporting about his efforts to evacuate Afghans as the Taliban took control of their country was inaccurate, and threatened to sue if the network moved forward with a news segment about him, Young testified Wednesday. The network ran the story anyway.
Now, Young is suing CNN for $1 billion in damages, claiming he lost employment days after the network aired its false reporting and that he hasn’t been able to find work since. He’s pointed to CNN’s disparaging coverage of Fox News's $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, and jurors during Monday’s selection process appeared open to forcing CNN to cough up a 10-figure payout to Young.
"As you proceed, I would just appreciate if you would take the time to make sure you have your facts right to avoid libel," Young told CNN senior reporter Katie Bo Lillis in a Signal message shown during the trial on Wednesday.
At the time, Young wasn’t aware that CNN’s story would target him and thought CNN "needed assistance rescuing Afghans." He testified that he would have called a lawyer immediately if he knew he would be the focus. Eventually, CNN national security correspondent Alex Marquardt reached out for comment via Signal about the specifics, but only gave Young two hours to respond.
"That's definitely not a realistic deadline," Young responded in a Signal message. "In any case, I can tell you for sure, some of your facts/assertions are not accurate, and if they are published, I will seek legal damages."
The jury appeared particularly engaged as they were shown the exchange between Young and Marquardt.
CNN aired its report Nov. 11, 2021, on The Lead with Jake Tapper and centered on private contractors using an illegal "black market" and charging "exorbitant fees" to evacuate people from Afghanistan as the Taliban regained control during the Biden-Harris administration's chaotic 2021 withdrawal. The segment singled out Young and his company, Nemex Enterprises, and anchor Jake Tapper portrayed him as an "illegal profiteer."
Young argues Tapper’s portrayal and the segment irreparably harmed his reputation and destroyed his company. CNN later removed the term "black market" from the online version of its segment, but Young testified that Tapper never apologized.
Four days after the segment ran, Young received a letter from his employer, Amentum, saying Nov. 15 was his last day of employment.
While Young’s contract was set to end that day, he and his attorney argued that the contract was meant to be renewed. They produced emails showing Amentum officials, including its president, saying they were happy with Young’s work and discussed plans to extend his contract. But the Nov. 15 letter was the last Young heard from the company.
During Tuesday’s court proceedings, Young produced his original 2018 contract, which included a clause indicating that he would be terminated without severance if he participated in a "black market" in his host country.
Young testified that he hasn’t worked or made money since. He said he tried to help evacuate people from Sudan, but his LinkedIn post offering his services was flooded with responses echoing CNN’s false reporting. The CNN segment appeared on several shows and reached 1.5 million domestic viewers, though that doesn’t count international ratings or social media engagement, according to Wednesday’s court proceedings.
When CNN first reached out, Young was under the impression that the network wanted to request his services. That was the only reason he connected, a Signal message shows.
Lillis told him CNN was "working on some reporting related to ongoing efforts to help get at-risk Afghans out of the country." Young believed she was doing "general reporting" about the situation, not "attacking him" directly, he testified.
"We've been doing a series of stories on evacuations and the various different models folks are following … and just want to talk about the lay of the land," Lillis told Young. "I'm a straight shooter, I'll be frank with you about where we are."
But Young never received that frankness. He also said video of Marquardt calling him was completely fabricated and that he never received a call.
"This is a scene where he's trying to call me," Young testified. "He's making a scene to prove he reached out and gave me a chance to talk."
At the time, Young was living in Austria. After the report aired, he said he had "very real concerns that I had that the police [in Vienna] could be knocking on my door, and I still think about that."
He also said he had a "breakdown" after the report aired.
"During this time it was very bad," Young said. "It took a while before I was even functional. I was going through periods when I was having multiple panic attacks a day, not sleeping for days."
"I felt like this was having a tremendous impact not just on me but on the people I care most about, my mother," Young added.
During Monday’s testimony, Young said he financially supports his disabled 75-year-old mother.