CNN Accused of Battling to Hide Star Reporter's Promotion and Raise Amid $1Billion Jake Tapper Defamation Trial

In 2023, CNN promoted Marquardt to the key position two years after U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young claimed the network pushed a "false narrative" about him and "destroyed his reputation" during a segment in which he was accused of being an "illegal profiteer who exploited desperate Afghans".

CNN now wants to make sure Marquardt's promotion is kept out of the trial as they have filed a motion in limine, arguing that the commentator's contract negotiations are "irrelevant" and should be kept out.

The filing argued: "... Nor such is evidence relevant to Plaintiffs’ claim for punitive damages, given that Mr. Marquardt’s contract negotiations and promotions significantly post-dated publications. Punitive damages may be imposed only if the defendant acted with ‘gross negligence’ or engaged in ‘intentional misconduct’ at the time the tort was allegedly committed."

However, Young's lead counsel Vel Freedman sees things differently and thinks Marquardt's career history "including promotions that postdate the events at trial," go directly to his background as a witness.

Freeman added that Marquardt's "bias as both a very senior CNN employee… and as evidence that he has been rewarded and may be loyal" are relevant to the case.

He added: "Moreover, the fact that CNN was aware of Marquardt’s alleged misconduct in this litigation, investigated it, put his contract negotiations on hold, and then promoted him to chief national correspondent is admissible evidence that goes directly to the entitlement of punitive damages."

Freedman argued that while CNN had handed over thousands of pages of documents, they have failed to turn over cash flow records.

He stated earlier this month: "CNN’s response has been, ‘Well we don’t have them. That just can’t be the case, your honor," and added, "It just doesn’t compute with common sense."

CNN's attorney, Charles Tobin, argued that the network doesn’t manage its business by a balance sheet, and it doesn’t maintain a cash-flow statement, He also suggested they have been truthful.

However, a judge in Delaware ruled CNN‘s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery must conduct a financial deep dive and then hand relevant information over to Young and his team.