Navy Veteran Seeks Nearly $500 Million In Defamation Lawsuit Against Associated Press

U.S. Navy Veteran Zachary Young is seeking astir $500 cardinal successful his defamation suit against nan Associated Press. 

Young is seeking astatine slightest $18 cardinal successful economical loss, $50-75 cardinal successful reputational harm, $5-10 cardinal successful affectional distress and $300-350 cardinal successful punitive damages, according to a Notice of Filing obtained by Fox News Digital. 

Young, who successfully sued CNN for defamation earlier this year, alleged that CNN smeared him by implying he illegally profited erstwhile helping people flee Afghanistan on nan "black market" during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from nan state successful 2021. When covering nan proceedings successful January, AP media newsman David Bauder wrote that "Young’s business helped smuggle group retired of Afghanistan."

NAVY VETERAN WHO PROVED CNN DEFAMED HIM SUES ASSOCIATED PRESS, SAYS HE WAS FALSELY PAINTED AS ‘SMUGGLER’

U.S. Navy Veteran Zachary Young is suing nan Associated Press.  (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)

Young’s ineligible squad has said that nan AP article "went moreover further than CNN’s falsehoods," and antecedently updated nan title to see 40 Associated Press articles that usage nan word "smuggling" to picture criminal conduct.

In Friday’s filings, Young’s counsel, Daniel Lustig from Pike & Lustig, also asked for a slew of nan AP’s soul communications, including thing related to Young, nan article successful question, editing of nan article, nan connection "smuggle," anytime an AP staffer communicated astir Young pinch CNN labor and post-publication discussions astir nan article.  

Young’s squad besides requested different AP stories utilizing nan word "smuggle," on pinch each documents reflecting AP’s soul editorial standards, policies, guidelines, practices, and training materials.  

In nan Notice of Filing, Lustig elaborate wherever he came up pinch each figure, penning that nan amounts are supported by experts who testified successful nan CNN trial. 

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT RETRACTS AP ARTICLE ABOUT VETERAN ZACHARY YOUNG, BUT AP STANDS BY THE STORY

Plaintiff Zachary Young successfully alleged that CNN smeared him by implying he illegally profited erstwhile helping group fly Afghanistan connected nan "black market" during nan Biden administration's subject withdrawal from nan state successful 2021.  (CNN/Screenshot)

"AP’s behaviour meets nan modular for punitive damages nether Fla. Stat. § 768.72. It published a mendacious and defamatory connection that Mr. Young’s institution ‘helped smuggle group retired of Afghanistan’—a national felony accusation—despite nan beingness of assemblage verdict successful Mr. Young’s favor, a tribunal ruling uncovering he had not committed immoderate crime, a general retraction request sent anterior to litigation, and extended nationalist grounds evidence to nan contrary," Lustig wrote. 

The AP has defended its reporting. 

"AP’s communicative was a actual and meticulous study connected nan assemblage verdict uncovering successful Zachary Young’s favor. We will vigorously take sides our reporting against this frivolous lawsuit," an AP spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

JURY FINDS CNN COMMITTED DEFAMATION AGAINST NAVY VETERAN, SETTLEMENT REACHED ON PUNITIVE DAMAGES

U.S. Navy seasoned Zachary Young could return to a Bay County, Florida courtroom aft filing a defamation suit against nan Associated Press. (Jessica Costescu)

The figures that Young is seeking are taxable to alteration pending further discovery. 

In January, a 6-person assemblage decided Young was owed $4 cardinal successful mislaid earnings, $1 cardinal successful individual damages specified arsenic symptom and suffering and said that punitive damages were warranted against CNN. A colony was reached earlier punitive damages were decided by nan jury. 

Young is seeking nan aforesaid venue for his suit against nan AP arsenic he had pinch CNN: Bay County, Florida. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP