In a Friday Notice of Filing, Navy veteran Zachary notified Florida’s 14th Judicial Circuit in Bay County, that he would be seeking upwards of $453 million in damages through his defamation suit against The Associated Press. The wire service allegedly falsely accused Young of committing a felony while rescuing nearly two dozen women and a baby from Afghanistan.
“Based on the severity and scope of The Associated Press’s defamatory conduct, the foreseeable and actual harm caused, and the willful nature of the publication, Plaintiffs in good faith estimate their total damages to be no less than $450,000,000, subject to amendment following discovery,” Young’s filing argued.
Young was seeking damages on four fronts: economic loss, reputational harm, emotional distress, and Punitive damages. In total, Young was looking to be awarded between $373 - $453 million.
He gave the court this breakdown of the damages:
1. Economic Loss – $18 million.
This figure is supported by a previously rendered expert witness report in the CNN defamation case, which quantified business losses and lost future income caused by CNN’s defamatory reporting. AP’s defamatory article further amplified that damage post-verdict and created a new wave of lost commercial opportunity. A report is being disclosed pursuant to Section 1.280(a)(B) but not filed with the court.
2. Reputational Harm – $50–75 million
Expert testimony from Retired Major General James V. Young confirms that Mr. Young’s reputation in the national security, intelligence, and evacuation sectors—where trust and discretion are paramount—was catastrophically damaged. AP’s use of the word “smuggling,” published after a Florida jury and court found Mr. Young innocent of any wrongdoing, dramatically compounded. that damage by framing him as a criminal. The global republication of AP’s content via its wire service amplified that harm exponentially. A report is being disclosed pursuant to Section 1.280(a)(B) but not filed with the court.
3. Emotional Distress – $5–10 million
Dr. John Vincent, Ph.D., ABPP, a board-certified clinical psychologist, diagnosed Mr. Young with a major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and trauma-related symptoms directly linked to the reputational harm inflicted by CNN—and worsened by AP’s post-verdict publication. These injuries are ongoing and require continued care. A report is being disclosed pursuant to Section 1.280(a)(B) but not filed with the court.
4. Punitive Damages – $300–350 million
AP’s conduct meets the standard for punitive damages under Fla. Stat. § 768.72. It published a false and defamatory statement that Mr. Young’s company “helped smuggle people out of Afghanistan”—a federal felony accusation—despite the existence of:
- A jury verdict in Mr. Young’s favor,
- A court ruling finding he had not committed any crime,
- A formal retraction demand sent prior to litigation,
- And extensive public record evidence to the contrary.
In his victory over CNN in January, Young was awarded $5 million ($4 million in economic and $1 million in emotional damages). CNN and Young then settled on punitive damages for an undisclosed amount.
The filing also pointed out that “a juror from the CNN case told Fox News that the jury was prepared to award up to $100 million in punitive damages before CNN settled.”
Accompanying filings also tell the court that Young’s legal team was interested in moving forward with discovery by way of pursuing on-the-record depositions from members of The Associated Press and for the wire service to turn over relevant documents.
