Jan 17 (Reuters) - CNN reached a settlement on Friday

with a U.S. Navy veteran who helped evacuate people from

Afghanistan after the U.S. military withdrew from the country in

2021, a judge said on Friday, hours after a jury found the TV

news outlet liable for defaming him.

The six-person jury decided CNN had to pay damages totaling

$5 million. The settlement will avert a second phase of the

trial that would have determined any punitive damages. The

verdict followed a two-week trial in Panama City, Florida, state

court.

Circuit Judge William Henry did not provide details of the

deal in announcing the settlement in open court.

Plaintiff Zachary Young sued CNN in 2022, accusing the

Warner Bros Discovery ( WBD ) unit of destroying his reputation

in a segment on "The Lead with Jake Tapper" by branding him as a

profiteer who exploited desperate Afghans by charging exorbitant

fees.

CNN stood by its story and denied defaming Young, though the

network said in March 2022 that it regretted using the term

"black market" to describe Young's work.

Representatives for Young and CNN did not immediately

respond to requests for comment after the settlement was

announced.

Young, wearing a dark suit and blue tie, smiled as Henry

thanked the lawyers for their work before dismissing them.

The case stems from Young's work as a security

consultant helping corporations and charities extract people

from Afghanistan after the Taliban swiftly took back control

following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal.

In a segment on The Lead, CNN said "desperate Afghans"

trying to escape the country were being "exploited" with

"exorbitant" and "impossible" fees charged for evacuations.

The segment turned to focus on Young, displaying his

name and photo next to a chyron saying evacuees faced a perilous

"black market."

"The sum and substance of the segment states and implies

that Young marketed evacuations directly to Afghan citizens,

that he exploited Afghan citizens, and that he sold them illegal

goods/services on a black market," Young said in his lawsuit.