A CNN correspondent on the heart of a nefarious report that value the community a minimum of $5 million for defaming a US Navy veteran is leaving the struggling community.
Chief nationwide safety correspondent Alex Marquardt landed in scorching water earlier this yr after a Florida jury dominated that he defamed Zachary Younger in 2021 by claiming the previous soldier illegally exploited Afghans through the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from the nation.
Sources instructed former CNN media correspondent Oliver Darcy that Marquardt was fired — citing “editorial differences” along with his higher-ups on the community.
Marquardt — who labored at CNN for eight years and lately spearheaded its protection of the Russian-Ukraine battle — didn’t point out the authorized debacle or the explanation for his exit in asserting the departure Monday.
“Tough to say goodbye but it’s been an honor to work among the very best in the business,” Marquardt wrote in a publish on X.
“Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team & the phenomenal teammates I’ve worked with in the US and abroad.”
CNN declined to remark.
In January, a Florida jury awarded Younger $5 million after deliberating lower than 9 hours following a two-week trial in Panama Metropolis state court docket.
An undisclosed settlement was reached to resolve the matter earlier than jurors calculated punitive damages, which may’ve added tens of millions extra to the full award.
The decision added gas to President Trump’s fiery criticism that CNN is biased.
In the course of the trial, it was revealed that the ratings-challenged community ignored proof that countered its narrative.
In a damning message to a CNN colleague, Marquardt wrote that CNN goes to “nail this Zach Young motherf—er,” in response to court docket data.
A producer stated that the plaintiff had a “punchable face.”
The phase, which aired on Jake Tapper’s program “The Lead,” described the US authorities’s evacuation of residents.
It went on to say Afghans “trying to get out of the country face a black market full of promises, demand of exorbitant fees, and no guarantee of safety or success.”
The phase then turned to Marquardt, who described the scenario of a person positioned within the US whose household remained in Afghanistan and stated that he discovered folks on Fb charging $10,000 per individual to be evacuated.
Marquardt acknowledged, “according to Afghans and activists we’ve spoken with, desperate Afghans are now being exploited” due to the “exorbitant” and “impossible” quantities charged, pointing to a LinkedIn publish from Younger promoting his companies and texts between him and other people inquiring about his enterprise.
CNN stood by Marquardt after the decision.
“We remain proud of our journalists and are 100% committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting at CNN, though we will of course take what useful lessons we can from this case,” the community stated on the time.
Marquardt beforehand labored as a overseas correspondent for ABC Information primarily based in Moscow, Jerusalem, Beirut and London.
He has gained a number of honors, together with Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards for an undercover investigation of underage intercourse trafficking within the Philippines.
