Former U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young is suing CNN, claiming the network defamed him and his security consulting company, Nemex Enterprises Inc., in a 2021 segment on Jake Tapper’s program, The Lead. Young alleges the segment damaged his reputation and business by implying Nemex profited illegally during the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden administration.
Young’s lawsuit contends that CNN portrayed him and his company as exploiting desperate Afghans by charging exorbitant fees to help evacuees flee Afghanistan. The segment included comments by CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt, who claimed Young’s firm was charging as much as $14,500 per person for transportation and $75,000 for a vehicle to cross into Pakistan, deeming the fees “beyond the reach of most Afghans.”
In a ruling earlier this year, the First District Court of Appeal in Florida stated that Young provided sufficient evidence of “actual malice” and “express malice” by CNN. Judges cited internal CNN messages that reportedly raised concerns about the report’s accuracy before it aired. One internal email described the story as “a mess” and “full of holes like Swiss cheese,” while others said it was “80% emotion, 20% obscured fact” and “incomplete.”
The trial is scheduled to begin on January 6, 2025, in Bay County, Florida. Young’s legal team has also requested the court consider the financial statements of CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, in determining any punitive damages. CNN has argued it cannot separate its financial information from its parent company’s assets.
In September, a Florida judge ordered CNN to produce financial data after claims that the network had failed to provide sufficient documentation. Records obtained by Newsbusters allege that CNN has not complied with the subpoena, leading Young’s legal team to push for Warner Bros. Discovery’s financial records to be used as a basis for punitive damages.
Fox News Digital reached out to CNN and Warner Bros. Discovery for comment, but they did not respond.