U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young's CNN defamation trial this week has revealed the news network staffers had cursed him out as a "a s***," alleging he was charging "exorbitant" fees — for his people risking their lives — to help people fleeing Afghanistan.
CNN Senior Director Fuzz Hogan and reporter Elizabeth Wolfe exchanged emails about Young's nongovernment operation to help evacuate people seeking to flee President Joe Biden's deadly Afghanistan withdrawal.
"Wow this dude is promising them legal status or refugee status," Wolfe wrote in an email, the Daily Mail reported, citing evidence submitted into the record by Young's attorneys.
"Yeah, he's a s***," Hogan reportedly replied.
Young is suing CNN's "The Lead" with Jake Tapper for defamation for having "destroyed his reputation," and assailing his life-risking operations as having been a "black market" for helping those seeking to flee Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Young contends the defamatory "black market" label is suggestive of criminality for his people risking their lives to save those stranded by the Biden administration.
"It's devastating if you're labeled a criminal all over the world," Young testified Tuesday, noting his operation is death-defying in "a very stressful environment."
Evidence in the case has CNN journalists, editors, and staffers calling Young a "scumbag" and "a**hole," while another text specifically claimed "we gonna nail this Young motherf***er," the Los Angeles Times reported.
It is unclear why CNN held animus against the U.S. Navy veteran's company, but CNN's Tapper worked as a Democrat operative before becoming a CNN host and has long defended Democrats and President Joe Biden against criticism.
President-elect Donald Trump has called the unconditional and deadly Afghanistan withdrawal under Biden the most embarrassing moment in American history.
"Afghans trying to get out of the country face a black market full of promises, demands of exorbitant fees and no guarantee of safety or success," Tapper's on-air report that included Young's NGO rescue operations began, according to the Daily Mail.
CNN argued Young's case is "defamation by implication" and says it has not accused Young's company of acting illegally, and CNN lawyer David Axelrod, who shares a name with a longtime Democrat political operative and CNN commentator, argued Tuesday that Young's name was not mentioned until three minutes into the report.
CNN has issued a correction on air after Young's subsequent complaint, saying the use of the phrase "black market" was wrong, according to the Daily Mail.
"We did not intend to suggest that Mr. Young participated in a black market," the apology read. "We regret the error. And to Mr. Young, we apologize."
CNN has requested the case be dismissed, but the 14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry has allowed it to go forward to trial.
Henry has already ruled Young "did not act illegally or criminally" and the court found Young "did not take money from Afghans."
Young had texted a CNN reporter that he was paid by sponsors for those Afghans seeking refuge because of evacuation costs were "highly volatile and based on environmental realities," the Daily Mail reported.
Information from The Associated Press was used to compile this report.