Lawsuit Continues Against News Network.
The defamation trial between Navy veteran Zachary Young and CNN is shaping up to be a high-stakes battle over journalism ethics, reputational damage, and the very real human toll of public misrepresentation.
Young, who alleges that a 2021 CNN report falsely painted him as a profiteer exploiting desperate Afghans during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, took the stand for a second day, delivering emotional and pointed testimony.
At the heart of the lawsuit is a report that aired on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper. The segment, featuring correspondent Alex Marquardt, alleged that Young charged “exorbitant fees” for evacuating people from Afghanistan, framing him as part of a “black market” operation. Young vehemently denies the allegations, claiming that CNN's portrayal destroyed his reputation, business, and personal life.
Text messages shown in court revealed that Young had warned CNN reporters before the story aired, calling their assertions inaccurate and threatening legal action. Young testified that his initial contact with CNN came when reporter Katie Bo Lillis reached out, ostensibly seeking background information on evacuation efforts.
However, when she insisted on naming him in her reporting, Young pushed back, explicitly requesting anonymity. He described her subsequent pressure as invasive, especially after she questioned his pricing and characterized it as exploitative.
When Marquardt later contacted Young to advance the story, he gave the veteran a mere two hours to respond to detailed questions—a timeline Young argued was impossible to meet. Young repeatedly emphasized that he worked with sponsors and corporations to fund evacuations and did not charge Afghans directly. Despite his objections and clarifications, CNN ran the story.
Jurors watched the controversial segment in its entirety, including teasers where Tapper described Afghans being “preyed upon” by individuals charging “exorbitant fees.” The segment spotlighted Young, showing his face on-screen and quoting texts where he noted the high demand for evacuations and the volatility of costs, concluding, “That’s how economics works, unfortunately.” Young argued that the story’s framing and visuals singled him out unfairly, leaving viewers with a false impression of illegal or unethical behavior.
Young testified that the public backlash was immediate and overwhelming. He described being bombarded with hate messages, experiencing debilitating panic attacks, and struggling to maintain his marriage and personal relationships. “I’m not the same person that my wife married,” he said tearfully. The CNN report, he claimed, left him feeling “destroyed, embarrassed, and emasculated.”
CNN’s legal team, led by attorney David Axelrod, began cross-examining Young, focusing on his financial records, work history, and deleted LinkedIn messages. Their strategy appeared to center on challenging Young’s credibility and mitigating claims of reputational and emotional harm.