Alex Marquardt left CNN after eight years, following a defamation lawsuit that awarded U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young $5 million in damages. The lawsuit stemmed from Marquardt’s report that misrepresented Young as exploiting vulnerable Afghans during the evacuation from Afghanistan.
Marquardt said the story was factual and fair despite internal messages disparaging Young. Meanwhile, CNN stated it remains committed to strong and fair reporting.
CNN’s decision to part ways with Marquardt was linked to a post-settlement ethics review, citing unspecified editorial differences.