A juror who ruled in favor of a 49-year-old Navy veteran in his defamation suit against CNN said the network’s foul-mouthed texts were a critical factor in the verdict.

Last month, a Florida jury found CNN liable of defamation against U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young. Young was among individuals helping to evacuate people from Afghanistan following the 2021 U.S. military withdrawal from the country. He filed suit against the network over a November 2022 report that claimed he illegally profited as a security consultant helping corporations remove staff from the war-torn country and exploited desperate Afghans by charging exorbitant fees.

Katy Svitenko, a 73-year-old retired teacher, said CNN’s communications regarding Young helped move her and five other jurors to rule in favor of the veteran. Speaking to Fox News, Svitenko said that CNN would have to get “on its hands and knees begging” to sway her opinion after seeing the text exchanges.

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