A retired Major General testified in a defamation lawsuit against CNN that he would not have hired the plaintiff, Navy veteran Zachary Young, after a CNN report aired, citing the report made him "too risky." The report, which aired on "The Lead with Jake Tapper" in November 2021, alleged Young profited illegally from evacuations from Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal. Young contends the report tarnished his professional reputation and implied involvement in "black market" activities.

Major Gen. James V. Young (no relation to the plaintiff) served as an expert witness, sharing his military and intelligence expertise related to the Afghanistan withdrawal. He testified that while he would have hired Zachary Young before the CNN report, the segment created significant risk and could damage the reputation of anyone associated with him. He stated the report made Young "too risky" for his hypothetical firm.

Major Gen. James V. Young, no relation to the plaintiff, testified as an expert witness in the CNN defamation trial. (Fox News Digital/Law & Crime )

The Major General also defended Young's evacuation pricing, which CNN labeled "exorbitant," stating they were "reasonable" given the circumstances. He further explained the common practice of deleting evacuation-related messages, a practice CNN's legal team criticized Young for. Before the report, Maj. Gen. Young believed Young would be considered among the "best of the best" due to his purported connections with high-profile figures in the intelligence community.

The major general stated he would have hired U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young before the CNN segment, but not after. (Jessica Costescu)

CNN's lead counsel questioned Maj. Gen. Young extensively about his assessment of Young's risk, including a hypothetical scenario involving a 16-year-old girl needing evacuation. The Major General maintained his position, emphasizing his professional opinion based on the CNN report, even after CNN issued an on-air correction. He also confirmed he had no prior knowledge of Zachary Young and was paid for his expert testimony.

U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young believes CNN damaged his reputation and business by portraying him as an illegal profiteer who exploited Afghans in need during a November 11, 2021, segment on "The Lead with Jake Tapper." (CNN/Screenshot)

In redirect examination, Maj. Gen. Young affirmed there was nothing unethical about Young’s work in Afghanistan and reiterated he would have hired him had the CNN report not aired. The CNN correspondent who produced the segment is expected to testify later in the trial.