A senior CNN employee has come under fire after messages revealing him calling a Navy veteran, Zachary Young, a derogatory term were uncovered in an ongoing lawsuit. The employee, Fuzz Hogan, who is the senior director of the network’s standards and practices department, made the remark in a conversation with another CNN reporter, Elizabeth Wolfe, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The trial, which began this week, stems from a segment aired on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” in November 2021, which Young claims “destroyed his reputation.” Young is suing the network for defamation, alleging that it smeared him by implying that he was illegally profiting from helping people flee Afghanistan on the “black market” during the 2021 military withdrawal from the country.
The segment, which was cleared by Hogan as part of his job as a fact-checker, featured a photo of Young’s face and alleged that his company was asking for exorbitant fees to help individuals escape the country. Young has repeatedly denied the allegations and maintains that he did nothing illegal.
In a statement, CNN said that “when all the facts come to light, we are confident we will have a verdict in our favor.” However, Judge William S. Henry has already ruled that Young “did not act illegally or criminally” and “did not take money from Afghans.”
During the trial, Young took the stand to testify, denying any wrongdoing and explaining the challenges of evacuating people from Afghanistan. He also presented a contract from his former employer, DynCorp, which outlined his ethical and legal obligations as a private contractor.
The case is ongoing, with the jury set to hear more testimony and evidence before rendering a verdict.