CNN insiders tell Fox News Digital they're convinced the abrupt exit of veteran correspondent Alex Marquardt was the result of the network's defamation trial.

A CNN correspondent at the center of a nefarious report that cost the network at least $5 million for defaming a US Navy veteran is leaving the struggling network. Chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt landed in hot water earlier this year after a Florida jury ruled that he defamed Zachary Young in 2021 by claiming the former soldier illegally exploited Afghans during the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from

CNN Chief National Security Correspondent Alex Marquardt left the network on Monday—months after the network settled a defamation suit stemming from his reporting. CNN settled with defense contractor Zachary Young in January after a Florida jury ruled the network had defamed him in a November 2021 report that alleged he gouged prices for those who sought to flee Afghanistan as the United States withdrew from the country.