CNN found guilty for defaming US navy veteran evacuating Afghans for a fee

Plaintiff had accused CNN of his destroying his reputation by branding him a profiteer who exploited desperate Afghans. TV news provider CNN has reached a settlement with a United States Navy veteran who helped evacuate people from Afghanistan after the US military withdrew from the country in 2021, a judge has said, hours after a jury found the TV news outlet liable for defaming him. Plaintiff Zachary Young sued CNN in 2022, accusing the Warner Bros Discovery unit of destroying his reputation in a segment on its programme, 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. Unusual guilty ruling 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 US withdrawal.