A security consultant testified in the second day of his defamation trial against CNN, as his attorney ran through a series of text messages with the network reporters. Zachary Young claims that he was defamed by a a false 2021 report that tarred him with exploiting Afghan family members by charging exorbitant fees to get

CNN appeared to suffer a blow on Wednesday as a lawyer for Navy veteran Zachary Young, who is suing the news broadcaster for defamation, highlighted exchanges that showed reporters giving Mr. Young very little time to respond to a negative story before it was broadcast and ignoring key information that debunked their allegation he was “preying” on desperate Afghans trying to flee their country.

The security consultant, whose background includes a stint with the private military contractor Blackwater, says a four-minute video package falsely portrayed him as acting illegally.