CNN staffers allegedly called a former Navy veteran who is suing the network for defamation an “asshole” and “shitbag,” according to a lawsuit filed June 12 in Florida.
Zachary Young, who helped evacuate Afghan citizens following the U.S. withdrawal, sued CNN over a Nov. 11, 2021, segment airing on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” The segment covered Afghans attempting to flee Afghanistan through private evacuation operators like Young, according to the lawsuit. Young alleged the network falsely branded him as an “illegal profiteer” and as a member of a “black market” that exploited “desperate Afghans” by charging “exorbitant” fees the citizens could not afford.
He said the reporting particularly harmed him since he allegedly was the only private evacuator profiled, according to the suit.
Tapper introduced a segment by reporter Alex Marquardt about Afghans…
