CNN defamed a U.S. Navy veteran in a 2021 report portraying him as illegally exploiting Afghans by charging exorbitant fees to be evacuated in the aftermath of the U.S. military withdrawal from the country, a jury has found.

A Florida jury on Friday awarded Zachary Young, a security consultant who said the story destroyed his business and reputation, $5 million after a nine-day defamation trial. The award doesn’t account for punitive damages, intended to punish particularly malicious conduct, which will push the total higher.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/cnn-loses-defamation-trial-over-afghan-evacuation-report-1236111145/