CNN paid an undisclosed settlement to a U.S. Navy veteran on Friday after a Florida jury found the network defamed him when it implied he illegally profited from helping Afghans flee the country during a 2021 segment on “The Lead With Jake Tapper.”
The settlement was made while the jury deliberated on how much CNN owed in punitive damages for libel. Earlier in the day, the network was ordered to pay Zachary Young $5 million in compensatory damages.
After the judge announced that a settlement had been reached, one of the jurors asked if they could hear said number. When the judge looked at both CNN and Young’s attorneys and received no response, they replied, “Apparently not.”