Panama City, Florida – One of the journalists behind the CNN report is at the center A high-stakes defamation trial He was accused of “misleading” the plaintiff by concealing the fact that he would be part of their story from the beginning.
US Navy veteran Zachary Young claims CNN defamed him in a report published by reporter Alex Marquardt in November 2021 and first broadcast on “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” suggesting he illegally took advantage of desperate people trying to escape. From Afghanistan in the aftermath of the war. Biden administration Military withdrawal, meaning he became involved in “black market” dealings with his professional reputation destroyed as a result.
CNN's Katie Beau Lillis, the intelligence and national security correspondent who collaborated with Marquardt on the story, was the first to reach out to Young, but she kept her cards close to her chest. She gave her evidence on Wednesday.
CNN correspondent Katie Beau Lillis was questioned on the witness stand over her letters to Zachary Young, the plaintiff in the case. (Fox News Digital/Law & Crime; Jessica Costescu)
On November 3, 2021, Young initiated an exchange with Lillis after he mistakenly believed she was a potential client when he saw she viewed his LinkedIn profile. “I'd like to talk to you a little bit about your operation,” Lillis replied, later telling him: “We're actually working on some reports regarding ongoing efforts to help get at-risk Afghans out of the country and your name came up.” You've spoken in a couple of recent conversations we've had, so I was hoping to ask you a little about your process!”
However, what Lillis failed to mention is that Young was always part of the CNN story that appears in the email Marquardt sent to his bosses on October 28, 2021.
After Lilis Leung admitted that she was corresponding as a journalist rather than a potential client, Leung immediately told her: “I would prefer not to have my name mentioned in any report.” But rather than reveal it as a subject, Lillis suggested they talk “a little informally,” to which he replied: “Certainly, if I agree, my name will not be mentioned in any article.”
“I can't promise that in advance, unfortunately,” Lilis Leung said at the time. But while she still urged him to chat informally, she added: “It gives you an opportunity to understand what we're working on… and to make your case to keep your name out of this.”
“I'm a shooter, and I'll be honest with you about where we're at,” Lillis assured him.
CNN's Katie Beau Lillis testified on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Lillis and Marquardt were corresponding about blowing their “cover” on Young.
“I just got into the office. If the cover was blown, I'd say we'd be nice to it and say we were doing stories about evictions,” Marquardt said that afternoon.
“Unfortunately, I think our cover was blown when he made the initial contact,” Lillis told her colleague. “And that's how it went.”
Moments later, Marquardt announced that he was “going to be on CNN.” “Yes, 100 percent,” Lillis replied.
Attorney Kyle Roche, part of Zachary Young's legal team. (Jessica Costescu)
Young attorney Kyle Roche repeatedly questioned Lillis during cross-examination.
Roche showed jurors a visual timeline of Lillis' interactions with Young and Marquardt. Text messages show Marquardt telling Lillis he wanted to take Young “somewhere where I could call him on camera,” while Lillis was still telling the Navy veteran she just wanted to chat to get background on the “lay of the land.”
“You can't mislead Zack in this conversation, can you? You can't lie to him? You can't mislead him?” Roche asked.
“I can't lie to him about who I am, or why I'm communicating with him,” Lillis said.
Roche responded, “Are you lying to him about other things?”
“No, I mean I wouldn't do that, but… I can't lie to him,” Lilis replied.
Roche asked whether using a “cover” would violate journalistic ethics and she responded that a “fake identity” would be considered unethical.
“So, if that's your definition of a cover, then yes that would be against the ethics of journalism,” Lillis said, adding that she didn't think the word “cover” was an example of that in the context of her letters. From CNN reporters who mutilate themselves.
CNN reporters Katie Beau Lillis and Alex Marquardt exchanged text messages about the report that was at the heart of a high-stakes libel trial.
Roche pressed Lillis on whether using “cover” was “the opposite of being a straight shooter.” Lillis laughed on the witness stand and suggested “we have no cover,” because the letters proved he had been “blown up.”
“Once your cover is blown,” Roach said, “were you not the shooter before?”
Lillis admitted she did not provide Young with all the information she would eventually provide right away, but insisted she never misrepresented herself.
Other text messages were shown to the jury and Lillis said Young would “100 percent” end up on CNN while still downplaying his role in a potential story. Lillis denied Roach's assertion that she had “misled” Young and testified that she was not making a “literal statement” that the veteran would end up on the network.
“Should we take the 'straight shooter' comment as a literal statement,” Roach asked, to which Lillis replied, “Yes.”
Lillis testified that, at the time, she did not feel the need to tell Young that Marquardt wanted to get him on camera right away.
Jurors later Lillis was peppered with questions About her behavior in her enthusiastic efforts to persuade Young to engage with CNN. The trial resumed on Thursday.
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