The BBC is seeking help from a U.S. court to obtain documents and testimony from members of former President Donald Trump’s family. This pertains to Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster, as noted in a court document.
The BBC’s legal team has identified Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr. as individuals with likely access to important information related to Trump’s claims. The filing, presented in a Florida federal court, highlights the challenges in serving subpoenas due to the family’s Secret Service protection.
Donald Trump filed the lawsuit in December, alleging defamation and unfair trade practices against the BBC. The dispute focuses on a 2024 documentary that allegedly misrepresented a speech Trump delivered on January 6, 2021, prior to the Capitol riot. Trump asserts that the documentary edited his speech to convey a misleading impression, aiming to influence the 2024 presidential election.
While the BBC has expressed regret over the misrepresentative edit, they maintain they did not defame Trump. According to the latest court document, Trump’s family members possess pertinent insights into the claim that it was false to suggest he incited violence on January 6, 2021.
The filing details how Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump were in the Oval Office while Trump was modifying his speech. Additionally, Trump Jr. communicated with his father after the Capitol violence erupted. The BBC requested Trump accept subpoenas for his daughter and son-in-law or facilitate the Secret Service to allow service, a request Trump declined. As a result, the broadcaster has petitioned the court to permit service via email and certified mail.
The judge has provided Trump’s legal team until Friday to address the BBC’s request. Trump’s legal counsel has criticized the BBC, labeling their actions as attempts to detract from their own culpability.
The trial is tentatively scheduled for February. Recently, a federal judge in Florida provided Trump a temporary reprieve from an order demanding disclosure of his business’s financial performance. Judge Roy Altman has agreed to pause the order while evaluating an amended claim from Trump that aims to narrow his claims of damage to both business and reputation.
Contributions to this report were made by Associated Press journalists Kate Brumback in Atlanta, Georgia, and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington.
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