Fake Dues: CNN Found Guilty In $5M Defamation Case As CBS Mulls Settlement In Trump Lawsuit
Last month, ABC News agreed to a $15 million settlement with Donald Trump after anchor George Stephanopoulos repeatedly lied about Trump being "liable for rape" in a civil case. Parent company Disney agreed to contribute the $15 million to Trump's presidential foundation or museum, and pay $1 million in legal fees to Trump's attorneys.
Now, CNN was just found liable for $5 million in damages for defaming a Navy veteran on Jake Tapper's show (as previewed by Jonathan Turley here).
On Friday, a jury in Florida concluded after a two-week trial that contractor Zachary Young was falsely accused of illegally participating in a "black market" for exfiltration services in Afghanistan after the disastrous withdrawal by the Biden administration. According to a segment on CNN, Young was called out by name as participating in the alleged scheme - which he said ruined his reputation and harmed his business. Young said he provided his services to major corporations seeking to render aid to employees stuck in Afghanistan, and that his prices were fair.
Young filed his lawsuit in 2022, which revealed CNN correspondent Alexander Marquardt disparaging Mr. Young to his CNN colleagues - while some coworkers internally characterized the report as "flawed."
Edit: As one reader points out; CNNs lawyer, David Axelrod, was sharply and sternly reprimanded by the judge for presenting false evidence, while Jake Tapper more or less lied on stand.
CNN argued that the report, which aired during Jake Tapper's show, did not make any false assertions, however in 2022 the network removed the segment from its website and said it regretted using the term "black market," arguing that they meant to refer to unregulated activities, not unlawful ones.