Zachary Young claimed CNN ruined his business and reputation when the network ran a story on private contractors charging Afghans trying to flee their country, but he says he didn't participate in the

CNN will have to fork over at least $5 million to a U.S. Navy veteran after it lost a defamation trial in Florida on Friday. A Panama City, Florida, jury ruled that CNN had defamed security contractor Zachary Young when it aired a 2021 report that said he was part of a “black market” that price-gouged those attempting to flee Afghanistan after the U.

The case, which involved a 2021 segment about a private security contractor in Afghanistan, played out as media organizations face more legal and political pressures.