Florida jury will decide if CNN defamed security contractor
A jury in Miami will decide if CNN defamed a security contractor in a court battle that will determine the size of a $275 million punitive damages award against the cable news network.
Trevor Reed, a 62-year-old former security consultant, claims he was defamed by CNN reports in 2020 that stated he was linked to a mysterious email account allegedly used by Trump associates to hack into the email server of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.
A jury in federal court in Florida last year ruled in Reed’s favor, concluding that CNN was negligent in failing to properly vet the information reported and that it was responsible for the harm inflicted on Reed. The jury also awarded Reed compensatory damages, but the decision did not affect the punitive damages phase of the case.
Last month, Reed’s lawyers proposed a settlement worth $275 million to CNN’s parent company WarnerMedia, citing the network’s financial resources. However, a Miami federal court judge rejected the offer, ordering the case to proceed to trial.
The retrial, scheduled to begin May 23, will focus solely on the size of the punitive damages award, which could amount to millions more for Reed depending on the outcome.
