CIA Orders Zachary Young to Delete Spy Memoir Within 30 Days
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 14
CIA Orders Zachary Young to Delete Spy Memoir Within 30 Days
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 14
Summary
A CIA review office rejected Zachary Young’s memoir "American Spy" and told him to delete all digital copies and shred or burn hardcopies, saying the manuscript contains sensitive information covered by his nondisclosure agreement.
Young says the agency never identified a specific classified passage and argues its own public affairs office had already confirmed his CIA background to CNN during reporting on him.
The former Navy veteran, now living in Austria, said the appeal window was effectively cut short because the letter arrived after roughly half of the 30-day period had passed.
The dispute follows Young’s 2025 defamation win against CNN over its Afghanistan evacuation reporting; a jury awarded $5 million before the sides reached an undisclosed settlement, and HarperCollins had planned to publish the book later this year.