U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young, suing CNN for defamation, testified about the devastating impact of a 2021 segment that portrayed him as illegally profiting from helping people flee Afghanistan.
U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young testified on Tuesday that the CNN segment at the heart of his defamation lawsuit against the network had 'an immediate and very devastating' impact on his life. Young alleges that CNN smeared him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the 'black market' during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the country in 2021.
Young believes CNN 'destroyed his reputation and business' by branding him an illegal profiteer who exploited 'desperate Afghans' during a November 11, 2021, segment that first aired on CNN’s 'The Lead with Jake Tapper.' The high-stakes trial, which started on Monday with jury selection, saw Young called as the first witness on Tuesday after both sides delivered opening statements. Young said 'it’s hard to explain to someone outside my world how devastating' it was when 'black market' was used to describe where he operates. 'You’re labeled a criminal all over the world,' Young said when questioned by his lead counsel, Vel Freedman. CNN CHOSE ‘THEATER OVER TRUTH’ AND ‘DESTROYED THE LIFE OF AN AMERICAN PATRIOT,’ LAWYER SAYS TO KICK OFF TRIAL Young testified he was interested in the national security of the United States and wanted to pursue a career after his time because the world is a 'big place,' and the government can’t do everything to keep America safe, so he believes private contractors are vital. 'I’m not a mercenary and I don’t like the term,' Young said when explaining his work for Blackwater and other contractor roles following his service in the Navy. 14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry, who is presiding over the trial in Bay County, Florida, has already ruled that Young 'did not act illegally or criminally' despite what the network reported on air. Judge Henry has also declared the court found Young 'did not take money from Afghans'
DEFAMATION CNN ZACHARY YOUNG TRIAL FALSE ACCUSATIONS
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