The BBC has requested assistance from a U.S. court to obtain documents and testimony from members of former President Donald Trump's family as part of its defense in a $10 billion defamation lawsuit filed against the broadcaster.
In a filing on Friday in federal court in Florida, lawyers for the BBC argued that Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump, Jr. possess personal knowledge and potentially relevant records concerning Trump's claims. The broadcaster stated it has been unable to serve subpoenas on these individuals due to their Secret Service protection.
Trump initiated the lawsuit in December, accusing the BBC of defamation and deceptive trade practices. The suit centers on a documentary that allegedly edited a 2021 speech by Trump to misrepresent his meaning and unfairly influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The BBC has apologized for the misleading edit but maintains it did not defame Trump.
The BBC's filing asserts that Trump's family members have knowledge pertinent to the argument that it would be false to imply he incited violence on January 6, 2021. It notes that Donald Trump, Jr. and Ivanka Trump were present when the former president was revising his speech, and Donald Trump, Jr. spoke with his father after the Capitol violence began.
According to the broadcaster, Trump refused a request to accept subpoenas on behalf of his daughter and son-in-law or to direct the Secret Service to allow service. Consequently, the BBC asked the court to permit service via email and certified mail. Trump's legal team has until Friday to respond to this request.
Trump's lawyers contend that the BBC is attempting to deflect from its own liability and is abusing the deposition process to harass the former president, his family, and his supporters. A trial in the case is provisionally scheduled for February.
Earlier, a federal judge in Florida granted Trump a temporary stay regarding an order to disclose financial performance details of his business empire as part of the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Roy Altman agreed to pause this order while considering an amended complaint from Trump that aims to narrow his claims of damage to both business and reputation.