A former CIA operative and Navy veteran who was awarded $5 million in a defamation lawsuit against CNN is alleging that the agency is attempting to block the publication of his memoir.
Zachary Young claims the CIA denied his manuscript, stating it contains "sensitive" information. Young expressed confusion over the agency's "hostile reaction," asserting he submitted the manuscript in good faith and wishes to "do the right thing."
Young believes the CIA's actions are an attempt to suppress information that became public during his defamation trial against CNN. In January, a Florida jury found CNN liable for defaming Young over a 2021 report that falsely accused him of exploiting Afghans during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The CNN journalist who reported the story was later fired.
Young co-authored the memoir, titled "American Spy," with Scott McEwen. The book reportedly covers Young's CIA career, his role in evacuating Afghans during the U.S. withdrawal, and his legal battle with CNN. McEwen has stated his full support for the project.
As a former CIA operative, Young was required to submit his manuscript for prepublication review. The CIA's Author Review Office informed him in a June 15 letter that the manuscript "cannot be published or disclosed as written" due to being "predicated upon sensitive information" covered by his nondisclosure agreement. The agency also instructed him and any co-authors, agents, publishers, and attorneys to destroy all copies of the manuscript.
Young stated that the CIA did not identify any specific passages, chapters, pages, words, or sentences it deemed sensitive or classified, despite his requests for clarification. He noted that the standard review process typically involves a discussion about specific censored material.
Young contends the agency's stance is inconsistent, pointing to testimony from CNN journalist Alex Marquardt. According to Young, Marquardt testified that Tammy Thorp, the CIA's media chief at the time, confirmed Young's background. Young also cited contemporaneous CNN communications, presented as evidence during the trial, which indicated Thorp had acknowledged his former agency affiliation to a journalist. Young stated this confirmation from a CIA official to a reporter makes the agency's current position problematic.