CNN is undergoing a seismic shake-up as a veteran correspondent’s departure raises questions about accountability, journalistic integrity, and a costly defamation verdict that’s left the network reeling.

CNN’s Alex Marquardt, a prominent national security correspondent, announced his departure from the network on Monday, ending an eight-year tenure marred by a high-profile defamation case that cost CNN at least $5 million.

"Some personal news: I’m leaving CNN after 8 terrific years," Marquardt announced on an X. "Tough to say goodbye but it’s been an honor to work among the very best in the business. Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team & the phenomenal teammates I’ve worked with in the US and abroad."

He offered no further details about his exit or future plans.

Sources close to the matter, speaking to former CNN media correspondent Oliver Darcy, revealed Marquardt was terminated due to "editorial differences" with network leadership.

CNN declined to comment, citing the issue as a "personnel matter."

Marquardt’s departure follows a January 2025 defamation verdict in favor of Navy veteran Zachary Young, whose reputation was tarnished by a 2021 CNN report spearheaded by Marquardt.

The segment, aired on The Lead with Jake Tapper, falsely suggested Young profited illegally by charging exorbitant fees for evacuations during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The report claimed Afghans faced a "black market full of promises, demand of exorbitant fees and no guarantee of safety or success," with Marquardt citing unverified claims of contractors charging up to $14,000.

Young’s LinkedIn post advertising his evacuation services was featured, implying his involvement in the alleged scheme.

The veteran, who operated a security consulting firm, maintained he never accepted payments from Afghans, relying instead on corporate and NGO sponsorships to facilitate rescues.

He filed a defamation lawsuit in 2022, accusing CNN of maliciously misrepresenting his work.

Court documents revealed a text from Marquardt to his team, stating, "We’re gonna nail this Zachary Young mfker," indicating a premeditated effort to target Young.

Another exchange showed senior reporter Katie Bo Lillis responding, "Wow this guy is an ahole," and calling Young a "scumbag."

The six-person jury found CNN liable, citing "actual malice" and "outrageous conduct."

Juror Katy Svitenko, a retired schoolteacher, told Fox News that Marquardt’s testimony sealed the verdict.

"He was arrogant. He acted as though he really didn’t need to be there," Svitenko said. "Like he was far too important to be sitting there on the witness stand."

She highlighted Marquardt’s refusal to endorse CNN’s apology to Young, noting Young insisted, “I did not believe [the report] was an error.”

Svitenko added, "Alex Marquardt had put in an email, ‘I’m going to nail this Zachary Young.’ At that point, it seemed as though he had put a target on Mr. Young’s back."

CNN issued a retraction and removed the segment after Young’s legal threats, but senior staffers argued against the apology, claiming Marquardt’s report did not explicitly accuse Young of wrongdoing.

The jury disagreed, awarding Young $5 million for emotional and financial damages, with an additional undisclosed settlement for punitive damages.

Marquardt, previously a foreign correspondent for ABC News and NBC, joined CNN in 2017 after an earlier stint with the network.

His exit follows the departures of anchors Jim Acosta and Chris Wallace and comes amid significant layoffs at CNN, including hundreds of staff cuts in early 2025 and another 100 last summer.

The liberal media’s house of cards is crashing down.

Marquardt and his cronies at CNN thought they could smear Zachary Young, paint him as some kind of war profiteer, and walk away scot-free. But the truth? It’s a beautiful thing.