CNN Accused Of Witholding Key Docs In Defamation Lawsuit

Lawyers for U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young accused CNN of withholding critical financial documents in accordance with financial discovery during an Election Day hearing in the high-stakes defamation lawsuit. 

Fox News Digital reports Young alleges that CNN smeared his security consulting company, Nemex Enterprises Inc., by implying it illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the country in 2021.

U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young believes CNN "destroyed his reputation and business by branding him an illegal profiteer who exploited desperate Afghans" during a Nov. 11, 2021, segment on CNN’s "The Lead with Jake Tapper." 

Judge William Henry previously agreed with Young’s lead counsel Vel Freedman that CNN should hand over sensitive financial information that the cable network presented to its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, in order to determine CNN’s net worth. Freedman argued that CNN has since handed over thousands of pages of documents but has failed to turn over cash flow records. 

"CNN’s response has been, ‘Well we don’t have them,’" Freedman said Tuesday during the Zoom hearing. 

"That just can’t be the case, your honor," Freedman added, noting that tax filings indicate Warner Bros. Discovery mentioned the financial statements and a business as large as the media conglomerate presumably tracks its cash flow and basic financial information. 

"It just doesn’t compute with common sense," Freedman said.