Overview

• Marquardt announced on X that he is departing CNN after eight years, thanking colleagues on the National Security team.
• In January, a Bay County jury awarded Zachary Young $5 million, finding CNN liable for defamation over a segment that labeled his evacuation services a “black market” operation.
• CNN reached an undisclosed settlement with Young before jurors could determine punitive damages, resolving the lawsuit brought in 2022.
• During the trial, internal messages from Marquardt and other CNN staff disparaging Young were admitted as evidence of actual malice.
• The case has prompted scrutiny of CNN’s editorial practices and highlighted the risks of inaccurate reporting in major news outlets.