Navy veteran warns CNN reporter he will ‘seek legal damages’ if ‘inaccurate’ story is published
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA — warned US Navy veteran Zachary Young CNN Correspondent Alex Marquardt that his story was “false” and that he would “seek legal redress,” according to text messages shown to jurors Wednesday.
Young said during his second day on the witness stand that at first he thought CNN needed help evacuating its own people from Afghanistan, and he reached out because he thought CNN was interested in his services because employees were looking at his LinkedIn page . He testified that after Young realized that CNN reporter Katie Bo Lillis simply wanted to talk for the story, Young immediately told her that he did not want to be named in any reporting.
Young claims CNN smeared him by suggesting he made illegal money helping people flee Afghanistan on the “black market” during Biden administration military withdrawal from the country in 2021. Young believes CNN “ruined his reputation and business” by labeling him an illegal profiteer who exploited “desperate Afghans” during a Nov. 11, 2021, segment that first aired on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper.
U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young warned a CNN reporter that his story was “false” and that he would “seek legal damages” if it was published, according to text messages shown to jurors Wednesday. (Jessica Costescu)
According to text messages shown in court, Bo Lillis — the first CNN reporter Young worked with — did not promise to keep his name out of the story. The messages showed that Bo Lillis continued to press Young for a phone call about his evacuation efforts, and she insisted that she just wanted a “country opportunity” background image, but Young replied that he “doesn’t like the attention.”
“I still prefer not to be named in any article as a condition of speaking with you,” he wrote.
Bo Lillis then told Young that the prices seemed “excessive” to him, and Young replied that he didn’t expect the Afghans to pay. Instead, Young told her he was only focused on working with people who had sponsors or large corporations willing to pay to evacuate their people from a war zone.
According to the messages that wowed the jury, Young eventually told her bluntly that whoever reported her was “slanderous” and urged her to get her facts straight.
“The focus of your article seems pretty clear at this point. As you continue, I would appreciate it if you could take the time to make sure you have the facts straight to avoid defamation,” Young wrote.
U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young broke down in tears on the witness stand Wednesday. (Jessica Costescu)
Young testified that he would have called a lawyer “immediately” if he had known he was at the center of the story.
Marquardt, who then reported the story at the center of the lawsuit, then reached out to Young.
According to the messages, Marquardt then told Young he was working on a story detailing his interactions with people who inquired about his services and asked him if he wanted to talk about it by phone or text.
Young said he needed some time to respond properly, but Marquardt then said the story would be published that afternoon.
“That’s not a realistic deadline,” Young replied. “It will take me a few days to review and comment.”
Marquardt insisted he had already called and contacted LinkedIn last week, but Young testified that Marquardt had not contacted him. A CNN reporter, who is scheduled to be called as a witness, then gave Young just two hours to answer a series of questions.
“That’s definitely not a realistic deadline. In any case, I can tell you for certain that some of your facts/claims are incorrect, and if they are published, I will seek legal redress,” Young replied to Marquardt.
Marquardt continued with the story anyway.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper and correspondent Alex Marquardt during a segment at the center of the defamation lawsuit. (CNN/Screenshot)
The jurors, who refused a brief recess because they wanted to continue listening, were then shown the now infamous segment. They were also shown a couple of teasers that CNN anchor Jake Tapper used to promote the report.
Tapper first teased the 2021 segment at the center of the lawsuit, warning CNN viewers of “desperate Afghans still trying to escape a country being pillaged by people who are asking them to pay well to get out.” Tapper later reminded viewers that the next story was about “desperate Afghans” who were “prey”.
After the segment began, Tapper said Marquardt revealed that “Afghans trying to get out of the country face a black market filled with promises, demands for exorbitant fees, and no guarantee of safety or success.”
Tapper pitched to Marquardt, who said “desperate Afghans are exploited” and have to pay “exorbitant, often impossible amounts” to escape the country.
Marquardt then singled Young out, putting a picture of his face on the screen and saying his company was asking $75,000 to transport a vehicle with passengers to Pakistan or $14,500 per person to end up in the United Arab Emirates.
“The prices are way out of reach for most Afghans,” Marquardt said.
“He told CNN in a text message that Afghans trying to leave are expected to have sponsors pay for them,” Marquardt said, adding that Young said the cost of evacuating the network was “very variable and based on the realities of the environment.”
Marquardt then said Young “repeatedly refused to describe costs or say if he was making money,” before playing a clip of an anonymous sympathetic man who couldn’t afford to evacuate his family from Afghanistan.
Marquardt got back to Young, saying he had received another text message.
“In another message, this person who was offering these evacuations, Zachary Young, wrote, ‘Availability is extremely limited and demand is high’ … he goes on to say, ‘That’s how the economy works, unfortunately,'” Marquardt told viewers.
Tapper replied, “Unfortunately, hmm,” before thanking Marquardt for the report.
No other person or company was named besides Young.
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U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young believes CNN “destroyed his reputation and business by branding him an illegal profiteer exploiting desperate Afghans” during CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” segment on November 11, 2021. (CNN/Screenshot)
Young also testified that he never met or interacted with two different unnamed Afghans who were interviewed during the CNN segment. They were worried about their families stuck in Afghanistan and whether they could afford to evacuate them. Young said he never communicated with either man.
For much of the segment, CNN’s on-screen chyron declared, “AFGHANISTANS TRYING TO FLEE THE TALIBAN FACE BLACK MARKETS, EXCESSIVE CHARGES, NO GUARANTEE OF SAFETY OR SUCCESS.”
At one point during Young’s marathon testimony, he criticized CNN for suggesting that any evacuation from a war zone can guarantee safety or success.
Young’s attorney also had his client read dictionary definitions for “black market” to the jury.
“Illegal trade in officially controlled or deficit goods,” stated one of them.
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CNN General Counsel David Axelrod questions Zachary Young.
On Tuesday, jurors saw Young’s contract with DynCorp, which said he must not violate “black market” laws in his host country or his contract would be terminated without notice. His contract was not extended.
During testimony, Young and his attorney repeatedly pointed out that his face was visible during the CNN segment. As a result, Young suffered a “complete mental breakdown,” he told the jury.
“I went through a pretty bad period,” he said.
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Young broke down in tears on the witness stand Wednesday as she explained how the CNN report has affected her personal life.
“I’m not the same person my wife married. She never had to worry … she knew I was a provider, and I always will be,” Young said as he became emotional on the stand, adding that he felt “like a total flop” since CNN aired its report on him.
Young, who said he is now on anti-depressants and sleeping pills, said the whole ordeal has affected his intimacy with his wife.
“My libido was completely gone,” Young said.
“I don’t know if it’s the trauma or the medication or both,” he continued. “My wife was very understanding… I feel like I’ve just been completely destroyed, shamed and ostracized.”
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Young’s wife was not present for the first three days of the high-stakes trial, and the Navy veteran said he was taking care of his ailing mother but hoped she would join him in Panama City, Florida, during the second week of the trial.
CNN’s legal team then took their turn to cross-examine Young. General counsel David Axelrod, who is not the same person as CNN senior commentator David Axelrod, spent a lot of time presenting his tax returns to the jury, questioning why Young deleted LinkedIn messages after the CNN report aired and peppering him with questions about his work history. The jury was sent home at 5 p.m. sharp, and Axelrod’s cross-examination will continue Thursday.
