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.

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.

The departure comes on the heels of a Florida jury awarding a U.S. Navy veteran at least $5 million over a report that said he operated in a "black market."