CNN chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt departed the network Monday following a costly defamation trial that resulted in a multimillion-dollar settlement earlier this year. The veteran correspondent announced his exit after eight years with the network, though he did not specify the circumstances surrounding his departure.
Marquardt’s departure comes approximately five months after a Florida jury found that his November 2021 report defamed U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young. The jury awarded Young $5 million in financial and emotional damages before CNN reached an undisclosed settlement with the plaintiff, likely for a significantly higher amount.
The controversial report aired on “The Lead with Jake Tapper” and portrayed Young as operating in a “black market” that exploited desperate Afghans attempting to flee the country during the Biden administration’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan. The segment suggested Young was a shady profiteer charging exorbitant fees, with on-screen graphics explicitly linking him to black market operations.
Young, who served as a security contractor, maintained throughout the legal proceedings that his business only charged corporate sponsors to evacuate Afghans and did not target individual residents. He testified that the report destroyed his reputation and eliminated his $350,000 annual income, making it impossible for him to continue his work in the field.
The trial, which took place in Panama City, Florida, revealed damaging internal communications between Marquardt and his colleagues. Court records showed that Marquardt had written to a CNN colleague about planning to “nail this Zach Young motherf—er.” Additionally, a producer involved in the story described Young as having a “punchable face.”
These internal messages proved crucial in the jury’s determination that CNN acted with “actual malice,” a legal standard that was easier to meet since Young was not considered a public figure. The jury deliberated for less than nine hours following the two-week trial before reaching their verdict in January.
During his testimony, Marquardt defended his reporting work, maintaining that everything in the story was factual and accurate. He also indicated that the network’s legal team had pushed for a correction to be issued in an attempt to avoid the lawsuit, though he personally believed the correction was unnecessary.
CNN initially stood by the report but later issued a correction stating it “did not intend to suggest that Mr. Young participated in a black market.” However, this correction proved insufficient for Young, who proceeded with his defamation lawsuit against the network.
Multiple CNN insiders told reporters that Marquardt’s exit was obviously connected to the defamation case, though they expressed puzzlement about the timing given that nearly five months had passed since the trial concluded. According to reports, Marquardt continued making regular on-air appearances following the trial and even served as a fill-in anchor on Memorial Day.
Sources indicated that Marquardt’s dismissal resulted from a post-settlement ethics compliance review conducted by CNN earlier this year. The review involved interviews with Marquardt and others involved in the defamatory report. Network officials informed Marquardt of their decision on Friday, citing unspecified editorial differences.
The jury foreman later revealed that jurors were prepared to award punitive damages “somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million to $100 million” before the settlement was reached. The case represents a rare instance where a defamation lawsuit against a major news network proceeded to trial rather than being dismissed or settled beforehand.
Marquardt’s career at CNN included coverage of major international stories, particularly the Russia-Ukraine conflict where he served as a lead correspondent. He was promoted to chief national security correspondent in late 2023 and frequently anchored significant news coverage for the network.
Prior to joining CNN, Marquardt worked as a foreign correspondent for ABC News for approximately eight years, based in Moscow, Jerusalem, Beirut, and London. He has received multiple journalism awards, including Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards for investigations into underage sex trafficking in the Philippines.
CNN declined to provide detailed comments about Marquardt’s departure, stating only that the network does not comment on personnel matters. However, a spokesperson confirmed the accuracy of Marquardt’s announcement that he was leaving the network. Following the original verdict, CNN had stated they remained “proud of our journalists” and committed to fair-minded reporting while acknowledging they would take useful lessons from the case.
