CNN Loses Last-Ditch Bid to Avoid Trial in Vet’s $1BN Lawsuit as Court Shuts Down Network’s Sharia Law Argument

CNN lost its desperate attempt to avoid trial in a $1billion lawsuit after arguing the military veteran who sued the network for defamation violated Taliban law.

Court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com revealed a panel of Florida judges shut down the embattled network's last-ditch effort to toss Zachary Young's case. The matter will move forward as scheduled, with a tentative January 6, 2025 civil jury trial date on the calendar.

The decorated vet alleges he was falsely painted as a profiteer of war crimes during a discussion about America's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan on a 2021 episode of The Lead With Jake Tapper.

According to his lawsuit, the report suggested Young – a private security consultant who served in the U.S. Navy – charged exorbitant prices to smuggle people out of the country amid the return of Taliban rule.

Young's complaint states: "The clear effect of the first few seconds of the Segment is to set up a false narrative of Young serving desperate Afghans on an illegal market—which he never did."

According to previous court filings, Young claims to have helped 20 women flee Afghanistan through his company, Nemex. He said he charged $14,500 for each evacuation, but only took payments from corporations.

Despite admitting the story was "full of holes like Swiss cheese" and "not ready for primetime", the network has continued to defend its report and accuse Young of engaging in "black market" activity.

CNN filed its motion for dismissal just ahead of settlement talks in late June, arguing the "activities [Young] orchestrated and funded, which involved moving women out of Afghanistan, almost certainly were illegal under Taliban rule."

While the U.S. government does not recognize the Taliban or its interpretation of Sharia law, CNN argued the terrorist regime's stance should be considered in its defense against the lawsuit. The radical Islamist group, known for advocating public executions, amputations, stonings and floggings, has been continuously accused of human rights violations.

A CNN spokesperson explained the maneuver in a statement to RadarOnline.com on Friday, saying: “Acknowledging the state of local law is a necessary part of the legal analysis.”

The news organization also backed its reporting on Young, arguing the story presented by chief national correspondent Alex Marquardt was "substantially the truth."

Court docs filed by the defendants read: "Young’s company, Nemex, suddenly found itself rapidly making a ton of money, and in turn, Young—lined his pockets at an astounding rate. Yet Young didn’t personally evacuate anyone. Instead, at all relevant times, he sat at his computer in Vienna, acting as a middleman to another middleman, overseeing evacuations carried out by unknown people half a world away."

“Young could not guarantee the success of any evacuation because he literally did not know what the people on his payroll were doing. He even left some would-be evacuees stranded, scrambling for alternatives, and demanding refunds.”

CNN also recently fired back at Young's request for a court to order the company to hand over a copy of its code of conduct. They argued the demand was made past the deadline for discovery, writing in a filing that Young's team had “just learned” of guidelines “through no fault of their own”.

The former Navyman has accused the network of destroying “troves” of evidence in the case, like data that would help assess the extent to which the report impacted Young's business and reputation.

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