UPDATE: After jury agreed punitive damages were warranted, Zachary Young’s forensic economist, Robert W. Johnson, took the stand to assess CNN’s revenue to determine potential punitive damages and CNN’s ability to pay. Young estimated CNN makes $5 million per day. A 30-day award would be $150 million. Quickly CNN agreed to settle the punitive damage award for an undisclosed amount. The punitive award is secret.
CNN was sued for defamation by plaintiff Navy veteran Zachary Young. Mr. Young sued CNN for defamation after the cable network ran a hit piece against him and his company accusing Young of running a “black-market” rescue operation in the wake of the failed Afghanistan withdrawal. The hit piece ran on Jake Tapper and Jim Acosta’s segments on CNN.
The lawsuit progressed in the trial with the jury ultimately being handed the case for compensatory and punitive damages. Punitive damages were judged as warranted in the case because during the discovery phase of the trial Mr. Young’s lawyers were able to gain emails and internal correspondence within CNN showing intentional malice and willful intent to target and lie about Zachary Young.
Today the jury returned a verdict against CNN, awarding Mr. Young $5,000,000.00 in compensatory damages for his lost reputation, lost security clearance and complete loss of his business and income. The punitive damage award could be substantially higher and is yet determined.
FLORIDA – A Florida jury found that CNN liable of defaming Navy veteran Zachary Young on Friday and awarded him a total of $5 million in addition to finding that punitive damages were warranted against the network.
In his lawsuit against the cable news network, Young sought damages over a November 2021 report in which CNN chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt claimed that bad actors were reportedly running a black market and charging exorbitant fees to Afghans attempting to flee their country after the Taliban retook control of it earlier that year.
Segments about Marquardt’s report ran on both Jake Tapper and Jim Acosta’s shows. Young’s name and face featured in both segments; he was the only individual identified by Marquardt.
Young’s legal team has submitted that CNN published “lies” about his business extracting people from Afghanistan and cited internal communications — which revealed that employees had doubts about the integrity of Marquardt’s story, as well as that Marquardt had called Young a “mf*****” whom he hoped to “nail” and agreed with a producer that the veteran had a “punchable face” — as evidence that the aim of of the story was to “hurt” him. (read more)
This trial outcome comes on the heels of ABC News agreeing to settle a defamation case against President Donald Trump for $15,000,000 which will be paid to his presidential library.
FAFO comes to the mainstream media.
Mockingbird Media doing exactly what it was funded to do.
What if the list was revealed?
How many Deep State “newsroom” assets are employed?
What is the just punishment for said assets?
A long drop and a short stop….🇺🇸
David Axelrod also drew the ire of the judge when he called Young a LIAR over and over… Axelrod stated that he was working, waving a document from a company (can’t recall the name) when in fact it was just Young filling out paperwork to renew his Security Clearance. The Judge was angry!
Bolshevik lawyers like Axelrod routinely lie in court because they get away with it. Different rules for special folks!
More and more good news about fake news!!! CNN and MSNBC being the worst of the alphabet fake news outlets! Losing viewers and paying out compensation damages into the millions what a business plan!!!! Obviously this lawsuit wasn’t brought in the corrupt to the core DC District Court!!! When it comes to leftist propaganda news outlets profitability isn’t a consideration!!! Propaganda is always the priority!!! JMO
They can only run at a loss, for so long.
The same multinatiinal companies than have these news outlets, are deeply involved in entertainment, music and films.
And, because they have been shoveling woke ideology down the audiences throats in those mediums, they have lost that revenue, which otherwise could have offset their news division losses.
Face it, they are going
D
O
W
N
For good. Even the drug company advertising will flee, as the Media companies lose influence.
They can run for ever. They’re not being run to make money, they’re being run to project narratives.
The money doesn’t matter when you’ve got access to the Fed
And what happens when that goes down?
So, you think that they are going to last the next four years of MAGA and even more lawsuits?
Look at Zuckerberg trying to not be charged with Election Interference, Violating the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, and Collaborating with the Government to silence people, disenfranchise voters, and forbidding a US President from have free speech.
Did I dream it but are not the drug companies have to stop advertising soon due to a law being passed that I ‘THOUGHT ‘🤔 I remembered.
Not yet; RFK is pushing for that
Certain of the drug companies are running so deep in the red these days, their ad budgets may have shrunk to zero. Bless their hearts.
Too bad the big pharma research and development have US taxpayer funding that should have been when they started advertising to the public
Yes, and they’re surely going to have a bumpy road for the next four years with advertising subsidies. Advertising is the highest subsidized business in the United States, for quite obvious reasons now (the Advertisers are a pass-through agent to control the Networks). Also in the long run Subsidies have to be addressed, they’re how the fake communist economists create fake money and then use it to buy influence anywhere they deem necessary for their agenda. The Subsidies are now everywhere, ubiquitous and unsustainable. They’re responsible for the trillions and trillions and trillions and trillions . . . . in debt. They are an unproductive enterprise that is responsible for all the inflation we suffer and will suffer.
If we tackle government Subsidies we just might be able to save the Country.
MSNBC has its own big defamation case in progress with the guy they slurred the “uterus collector” who did no such thing.
I wonder how much they’ll lose?
Ah yeah…
The old wrap up pap smear trick…
Trust God.
Fear not.
Wonderful news
When your “news organization” runs with emotions where facts are cherry picked to support them, truth and reality have a hard time seeing the light of day!
Ted Turner must be crying…
Punitive damages are usually related to the defendant’s ability to pay. Thus, the defendants must disclose their assets so the jury can award damages that are sufficiently large enough to be “punitive.”
What is CNN worth?
Better yet, what is Jake Tapper’s net worth?
It looks as if the verdict was only against CNN, and Tapper was not a named defendant. *sigh*
If and when an award of millions is ordered, there might be a search for the guilty at CNN. The producer, the originator of the internal memos going after the Navy vet, all that and those who participated in smearing a good man will come into play.
If there is one scintilla of integrity and leadership left within CNN, there will be consequences for those that viciously went after Mr. Young. If not, then they will suffer more than they have before with more lost revenues and viewership.
With the way things are going right now, CNN’s “ability to pay” may amount to a tray of rice crispy treats
I would watch a tray of rice crispy treats, but I won’t watch CNN.
And, you may even hear them “Snap! Crackle! & Pop!”
One is truly consumable.
Dunno what CNN is worth, but I have heard rumor that their funds are commingled with the conglomerate that owns it. That one being Warner Bros. Discovery.
Otherwise known as the DEEP pocket.
Warner is sliding into the red soon. They are firesaling assets to stay afloat. Couldn’t happen to a nicer wabbit.
Tapper probably makes $20 million a year.
Alex Jones was ordered to pay $473 million in putative damages for defamatory claims.. Let’s see if we have a two-tiered justice system with CNN now.
I want to see those emails published. Ver batim. The whole world should see how brazenly false CNN is, and in particular Jake Tapper.
I posted three articles on it today at the Presidential thread, link to all below. The first it the one with the emails I believe, or at least one. The first two cover the details and the third is on the verdict.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/01/17/january-17th-2025-presidential-politics-resistance-day-1460/comment-page-1/#comment-11476304
This is great news for Zachary Young.
Too bad that Abilio Acosta & Jake Tapper aren’t personally liable for their filthy conduct.
We will see if they are let go in the next few months.
It would be hard to get an insurance company to accept legal liability for those vile creatures.
J-Tap better look into an eye lift… his face is revealing his wicked heart.
Well, Acosta has been sent to the heavens; the Midnight shift of CNN.
All I’ve got to say is Schadenfreude.
gesundheit!
Genau!
This verdict was an unusual guilty ruling against a media outlet in a defamation case. Libel laws are generally protective of news organizations, and unfortunately plaintiffs must meet a high standard to prove defamation. In this case , the evidence of wrongdoing and poor behaviors were overwhelmingly clear and in favor of the plaintiff. The good guy won!
The bar is higher when the plaintiff is a public figure. In that case, the plaintiff has to prove actual malice, which is usually very difficult. In this case, I don’t believe the plaintiff is characterized as a public figure, and the malice was obvious from the emails. Now, I only hope the punitive damages are extremely severe.
Great! Now do the Russia Russia Russia dossier!
Should they actually repeal the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act that legalized propaganda courtesy of Bronco Bama, or is it more fun to watch the Legacy Media lose their shirts for the nonsense they have peddled since 2012?
I think they need to reinstate the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act. We may be saying the same thing.
The Smith–Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 passed Congress as part of the NDAA 2013 on December 28, 2012. The 2013 NDAA overturned a 64-year ban on the domestic dissemination of propaganda (described as “public diplomacy information”) produced for foreign audiences, effectively eliminating the distinction between foreign and domestic audiences.
They can add it to the NDAA for 2026 and we will be back to where we were before Obama removed it.
Y’all know what I mean!😉
Hang ’em all?
Yeah, I was pert near sure we were on the same page.
The MarxMerdia is a fully integrated element of the Derp State, which MUST be destroyed!!
“,…which IS being destroyed!”
FIFY, the whole legacy media complex is being dismantled, and when its value hits bottom, these news organisations will be sold off at firesale prices, by the parent company,….and Truth Media will buy them up for pennies, lol.
I swear, if you could see the #’s, that PDJT PROFITED, handsomely from the whole lawfare campaign against him….
and he will profit from this war with ‘the enemy of the people’, as well as winning .
I agree with your thoughts on this, Dutch, but no amount of ‘profit’ can remove the stain of all the crap they threw at him. A VERY strong character… not many could have handled it.
First ABC/stephanopoulus and now this. Dang, get out of DC corrupt judiciary and strange things happen.
Hahahaha.
Jake Tapper and his sad, pained expressions…
Furrowed Brow
Constipation.
Hemorrhoids.
I wish that it was 500 million. Crush the anti-American CNN.
I know the following is off topic but it shows how much the media buries the truth of the matter. Check out the following article. It is awesome for it confirms the truth of the Bible. But, pay attention to the phraseology. They keep referring to Jews as the ancestor of Jesus, which is true.
The Biblical confirmation is that the Temple Mount or the Dome of the Rock is Jewish. This real estate belongs to the Jews and there is ancient archeological evidence, which prove it in an abundance. This is only one of many.
But, the media cannot say it. They cannot say that Jews built the Temple and worshipped there since ancient times. It is stated as ‘ancestors of Jesus’. Yes, it was the ancestor of Jesus: the Jews.
May G-d bless, the Jews, Israel, and the USA.
The article is attached below. The media earns the hate.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14291409/Shrine-Bible-sealed-Jesus-ancestor-OPENED-3-000-years.html
Exactly! $5 million to Warner Brothers is pocket change.
Amazing what happens when you get outside of the ‘Corrupt’ D.C Jury and Complicit Judge pools….
Unless the old SCOTUS State Farm decision on punitive damages has been overturned, the ceiling on punitives is likely in the $50-60 M range.
Rudy was ordered to pay $148m in the defamation case against him…. so looks like there is not top range. How much was President Trump ordered to pay that crazy whacko nutjob rape fantasist … who sued him for saying she wasn’t his type?
$148 million on two women who make $40,000 a year and didn’t even lose their job is $147,000 beyond excessive!
We need people locked up.
At least.
HAVE to,…..
Because they aren’t just gonna hang around waiting, while you build the gallows,…right?
Oh!
Such beautiful news! Whenever these clowns lose in court, the people rejoice! Litigation can be costly, but I hope those that can afford it should strike hard and strike fast. There should be no mercy for these organizations, unlike independent media, who have editors and superiors that should be going over their content with a fine toothed comb.
They continue to do this because they can get away with destroying people’s lives — over and over. Congrats, Zack!
It just goes to show the arrogance of MSM outlets like CNN. I can’t believe they were dumb enough to put this kind of thing in writing. It just goes to show they considered themselves untouchable.
Turns out, they aren’t. This is a welcome development.
Nice to read some good news for a change. 😊
Acosta’s still on TV? I thought he’d have been assigned to reporting on sugar futures from a basement, long ago.
I think Acosta and tapper could make a reboot of dumb and dumber.
He just got moved to the midnight to 2 AM shift. Apparently lying does have consequences on occasion.
Zachary Young tells Nick Sandman to hold his
beerCoke.What this was about was a fake report they put on TV to slander private people who were trying to help private companies get their people get out of the country and the dangerous situation Delusional Joe and his maladministration got the world into.
Rather than going after the cause of the problem, Delusional Joe and his maladministration, they decided to gossip about real people trying to help real people and make them look like bad guys instead. That old deflection ploy.
Except as usual they just dropped their word salad of malicious gossip on the unsuspecting airwaves, and guess what, it was garbage and sullied a man’s name and his company.
The bad news for them is CN&N insiders told them it was garbage and so did the man they sullied, but they went with it anyway.
They got everything they deserved! Finally!
Next, MSLSD and the Atlantic. Pompous gits.
Funny thing about your nickname for MSNBC. When Rachel Maddow started in broadcasting, she was on radio – specifically “Air America” radio. Now for anyone who remembers the Vietnam era, Air America was an alleged CIA op to transport heroin from the Golden Triangle for sale in the West. Fast forward 30 years and there is a politically liberal radio network called Air America with Al Franken, Rachel Maddow, and other leftie hosts. However, someone in San Diego seemed to remember Air America’s origins: the Air America station in San Diego was called KLSD, and its slogan, repeated on air, was “feed your head.”
Hah!
Also the name of a movie ABOUT that CIA operation,..and unless you watch it on DVD, and watch the “special feature” material, you won’t know it is a factual account of how the CIA was enmeshed in the heroin trade.
Watch “The International”, “Bank job” and ALSO watch the “special features” and with that trilogy you will get a great insight on the Deep State.
I hope this indicates a return to the rule of law. There are many many cases just waiting for the rule of law to return: https://nitter.poast.org/PatrickByrne/status/1880200819854963024#m
5 million seems low.
Likely much more to come, apparently.
Based on Turley’s review, it seems CNN’s deceptive ways on the air has TAINTED THE JURY! They already had a bad opinion of them. This is a problem the arrogant arses brought onto themselves but hard.
CNN == USEFUL IDIOT in the communist takeover plan
Well, it is great that ABC and CNN have been gobsmacked with litigation and lost.
Since ABC settled, that arrangement will become reality at some point in the future (after much foot-dragging from ABC).
However, for CNN – they will drag this out in the appellate courts for as long as they can to avoid paying these damages. The Communists do not like to lose, and absolutely hate being held accountable for their crimes against others.
I wonder if they self-insure, or carry liability insurance for libel suits?
Because these cases will raise the premiums on ALL of msm outlets.
Rising Insurance costs, falling viewership which means less influence which means lower “ad revenue” and eventually without Govt. financing like they have in Canada, they go bankrupt or are sold off by their parent companise for cents on the dollar,…onlt to be bought up by PDJT,’s media corporation, lol
If they, CNN, offered, it’s a dunn deal.
OR THE CITADEL OF NO NEWS!!!
MSU News! (Making Sh#t Up).
And where do these delusional leftists go for their information? Mockingbird Media. I wish in my soul…..
Jake Tapped out.
Maybe Young will settle with CNN, with the settlement including an on-air apology by Tapper.
Burn CNN to the ground. Then, salt the earth. The world will be changed for the better forever.
Here’s hoping CBS loses its FCC broadcast license…the legacy media needs to be gutted and wiped out.
Between the Twitter files and Zuckerberg’s confessions on Rogan, there is now zero doubt that the US legacy media was taking direct marching orders from agents of the federal government. I hope Trump’s team starts banning them from the press room. The 1A guarantees you freedom of speech. It does not guarantee media companies a press pass. And SCOTUS has no jurisdiction – separation of powers – over White House building access policies.
$5 Million is chump change for a real slander. Trump and his allies get judgments in the $150 Million to $900 million for speaking the truth.
The PUNITIVE damages are unknown right now. Maybe the looks on their faces will be an indicator.
The sickle and hammer is taking a beating right now. The American communist party ( democrats) are really getting slapped around and I love it.
Democrats we’re always Communists. Florida had several great Democrat governors and senators like Reuben Askew, Lawton Chiles and Bob Dole while several Republicans were assholes like Jeb Bush.
Take a few moments and consider who made the Democrats become Marxists?
It’s about time to take down some members of the media “punks” who know nothing of the US Military, nor have “they” ever served a day in the uniform of the USA — but yet, they still feel the need to generate ratings by denigrating those who do or did … this is spoken from the viewpoint of 26 years of USN service, enlisted and officer.
And please, there is. no need to: “Thank you (in this case, me) for your (my) service … ”
It was my privilege and if I was young enough, I’d do it all over again. Only this time hopefully “better and smarter” …
Thank you anyway.
Almost all.my my adult make friends are former military…although I did not serve, every male family member going back at least 5 generations did…
and I know most have mixed feelings about that “thank you for your service” salutation.
If its sincere, fine. If its an automatic responce, that is triggered in pavlovian fashion, as soon as they mention their service, and said with less sincerity than anything Old Joe has ever said,…than NO, not really appreciated.
How much federal money/people are being dedicated to social media “insiders” and also MSM “insiders”?
Learning the hard way that actions have consequences. If only this would happen to the criminals in the IC.
Way too good for them,…
Remember “3 days of the Condor”?
Such criminals would never go to trial, instead they would encounter a “cleaner”.
Aww too bad guys….FL jury….loves truth and justice.
Sucks to be “THEY/THEM”
Must of been a very slight damage compared to ruby freeman and her election cohort.
5 million vs 148 million. .0337% of the damage compared to the election duo in Georgia.
I guess he didn’t have the right jury.
CNN settles w/ plantiff only for the punitive damages (settlement amount unknown) …
“THE PLAINTIFF, ZACHARY YOUNG, WILL GET $5 MILLION PLUS THE SETTLMENT” https://nitter.poast.org/JessicaCostescu
Exactly, wait for the PUNITIVE, which is some multiple of the actual damages..
I’m so glad that FINALLY these networks are being held accountable in some way.
It’s shameful what they’ve been getting away with.
Here’s some video of the hearing:
hopefully soon the J6 hostages can sue for damages against the lying fake news F@scists. There’s mountains of video showing they lied, and imo knew beforehand and participated in the setup and smear.
Accountability!
Good
Go figure.
Over the years I have wondered why the MSM has been allowed to lie with impunity. At last they are being held responsible , now take out Rachel Meadow.
I’m disappointed that a punitive settlement has been reached. Now we’re unlikely to ever truly know the sum due to non disclosure agreement etc.
We can guess I suppose; 50 million?
I’ll be happy just if Tapper has to do an apology on air.
Sunny Hostin, George Stephanopolous, now Tapper?
They have to be the most miserable people on the planet.