The Department of Justice has threatened legal action, including potential criminal prosecution, against U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young and his publisher, HarperCollins, if they proceed with a planned memoir. The book, titled "American Spy," reportedly details Young's career in espionage and undercover operations.
In a letter dated June 26 and obtained by Fox News Digital, Alexander Haas, director of the DOJ's Federal Programs Branch, informed Young that he is prohibited from publishing or disclosing classified or sensitive national security information obtained during his employment with the U.S. government. Haas stated that Young is legally obligated to submit any writing covered by his secrecy agreement to a prepublication review entity for authorization. The DOJ asserts that Young failed to receive such authorization and has been instructed to delete all copies of his "unapproved manuscript."
"Proceeding with publication without providing the United States with the opportunity to review the manuscript potentially threatens national security," Haas wrote in the letter. He added that failure to comply with the review process or making prohibited disclosures could lead the U.S. to seek measures such as civil suits and referral for criminal prosecution.
HarperCollins informed Young on Tuesday that it would not move forward with the project until the dispute with the DOJ and CIA is resolved. Young, who previously won a defamation lawsuit against CNN, expressed anger over the DOJ's warning, calling it "a blatant intimidation tactic."
Young stated he had informed his former employer that "American Spy" would not contain classified information and noted that his involvement with the CIA was already public record following confirmation by the agency during his trial against CNN. He maintains that he has cooperated in good faith and takes his non-disclosure agreement obligations seriously. However, he claims the agency has refused to identify any specific passages they deem classified, making compliance with a review process impossible.
"The whole purpose of the prepublication review process is to work with former officers, so mistakes don't happen. That's why I cooperated with it from the start and why I still want to," Young said. "But that hasn't been the agency's position at all. Their position has been to shut everything down, presumably because they're embarrassed, and then threaten me and my publisher with lawsuits and criminal exposure. That's not good faith review. That's coercion."
Young also raised concerns about the CIA's public affairs director at the time his affiliation was confirmed to CNN, noting that this individual had previously worked for CNN. He suggested that the current actions might stem from "internal embarrassment" rather than genuine classification concerns, especially since details of his CIA background became public during the trial.
In 2025, a jury found that CNN defamed Young, awarding him $4 million for lost earnings and $1 million for pain and suffering. An undisclosed settlement was reached before punitive damages were determined. Young stated it was never his intention to write a book or seek attention, but he was compelled to do so after the protracted litigation.
The DOJ also indicated its intent to prevent Young from profiting from the memoir, stating that the U.S. could seek a constructive trust over all proceeds from an unauthorized publication. Young's secrecy agreement with the government reportedly extends for the remainder of his life.