Thursday is the first presidential debate, and as of right now, the Biden campaign says their candidate will participate. I suppose we’ll see, but I’m not so convinced. Remarkably, the network may have to pay $1 billion to settle a defamation case against Jake Tapper, one of the debate moderators.
Perhaps you haven’t heard, but Zachary Young, the plaintiff in a civil action against CNN, now has the right to seek punitive damages in addition to monetary and emotional losses, according to a recent ruling by the Florida First District Court of Appeals. According to Newsbusters, the total amount of damages sought could be close to or greater than $1 billion as a result of Tapper’s comments disparaging Young’s humanitarian services in Afghanistan during the disastrous 2021 evacuation.
“Young had to demonstrate his malice, and the court found that he has, so the result is at least somewhat likely. Judge L. Clayton Roberts stated in the court’s decision that Young “sufficiently supplied evidence of actual malice and a level of conduct heinous enough to open the way for him to pursue punitive damages.” The court decided that internal CNN messages that were highly hostile toward Young satisfied the high standards for real and expressive malice. Correspondent Alex Marquardt, the “main reporter,” wrote to a colleague expressing his intention to “nail this Zachary Young mother fucker” and his belief that the piece would serve as Young’s “funeral.” CNN editor Matthew Philips reacted to Young’s statement that he wanted to “nail” him by saying, “I’m going to hold you to that cowboy!”
“In addition to Marquardt, the self-acclaimed “Triad” of CNN’s editorial, legal, and standards/practices oversight staff members, Fuzz Hogan, a senior editor, called Young “a shit.”
“Young’s attorney, Vel Freedman, told NewsBusters that while “everyone makes mistakes,” CNN’s messages revealed a “chronic problem” within the organization. He continued by saying that they had exposed themselves to “huge, massive liability” and that their internal accountability system had “obviously failed.”
Freedman asserts that peers’ reluctance to work with Young has ruined his career as a security contractor, resulting in financial damages estimated to be between $40 and $60 million. If a jury decides to award emotional damages, the maximum possible amount may be $600 million. Furthermore, the court’s recognition of CNN’s heinous and malicious behavior led to the removal of Florida’s punitive damages cap. CNN might ultimately be required to pay $1 billion in total.
After a disturbance at the 2019 March for Life protest, CNN wrongly accused Kentucky high school student Nick Sandmann of racism. Sandmann filed a defamation case against the network, seeking $275 million in damages, which CNN settled four years ago. Will they settle or will they fight this lawsuit?
Undoubtedly, the network hasn’t gained any insight and will persist in its slanted reporting.
Author: Scott Dowdy
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