A senior CNN employee expressed concern that a story had “more holes than Swiss cheese,” a $1 billion defamation lawsuit has heard.

The case relates to a CNN segment in November 2021 about private contractors hired to evacuate Afghans in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Newsweek sought email comment on Wednesday from CNN.

Why It Matters

There has been a rise in high profile and costly media defamation cases in the U.S.

In April 2024, Fox News settled a lawsuit for $787 million after broadcasting false claims that voting machines were rigged in the 2020 election.

In December, Donald Trump settled his lawsuit against ABC News for $15 million after the station broadcast claims that Trump had raped, rather than sexually assaulted writer E. Jean Carroll.

Carroll had sued Trump for defamation for $88.3 million for sexual assault and defamation.

The CNN case will be keenly watched by media organizations to assess the limits of the first amendment’s free speech protections.

What To Know

The CNN case relates to a report in November 2021 about private “blackmarket” contractors hired to carry out evacuations in the wake of the U.S withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The segment was introduced by host Jake Tapper and presented by CNN reporter Alexander Marquardt.

Navy veteran Zachary Young sued CNN in June 2022, claiming that the segment defamed him and that he was simply charging companies and NGOs to help evacuate their employees.

He claims his business was destroyed as a result of the CNN report and is seeking $1 billion in damages.

The case is before a federal court in Panama City, Florida.

In his opening statement to the jury on Tuesday, Young’s lawyer, Kyle Roche, said that internal CNN communication would show bias against his client.

He said that one CNN executive wrote that Marquardt’s report had “more holes than Swiss cheese.”

However, CNN’s attorney Dave Axelrod played the entire three-minute segment to the jury and said he was doing so because CNN had nothing to hide.

He said that only one minute of the broadcast related to Young and that the report had shown a LinkedIn message from Young in which he advertised his services in getting people out of Afghanistan.

Newsweek sought email comment on Wednesday from an attorney representing Zachary Young.

What People Are Saying

Lawyer Roche said CNN reporter Marquardt texted a CNN producer with the words: “I’m going to nail that Zachary Young motherf****r.”

The producer texted back: “I’m going to hold you to that, cowboy.”

Roche also said another CNN employee wrote in a message that the segment was “80% emotion, 20% observed fact,” while another said the segment was “flawed.”

CNN attorney Dave Axelrod told the jury: “You’re going to see that CNN’s reporting…was accurate and you’re not going to see a single witness who will testify they thought less of Mr. Young.”

What Happens Next

Young will be cross-examined by CNN’s legal team on Wednesday. The trial is expected to continue for at least a week.