A U.S. magistrate judge has ordered Donald Trump to hand over financial records for nearly 400 companies associated with his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., a development described as a significant setback in the former president's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett ruled Tuesday that Trump's legal complaint had brought his business empire into the public sphere of the court. "All of President Trump's brand, properties and businesses are impugned or said to have been impugned. Reputational, economic damages, all of that is now at issue in this case," Lett stated, according to Politico.
The judge also denied Trump's request to quash subpoenas issued to several close associates and family members, including Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn, and Stephen Miller. The BBC is seeking communications from these individuals regarding the "Stop the Steal" rally on January 6, 2021, as well as information they provided to federal investigators probing the Capitol riot. The broadcaster contends these records are crucial to establishing Trump's state of mind on the day of the event.
The defamation case stems from a 12-second edit of Trump's January 6, 2021, address, which was used in a BBC Panorama film broadcast weeks before the 2024 election. The edited clip included the lines: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol ... and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell." Trump asserts that the subsequent fight lines, which appeared more than 50 minutes later, created the false impression that he incited the mob.
Following the film's broadcast, BBC Director-General Tim Davie resigned, and Chairman Samir Shah sent a letter to Trump in November admitting the documentary "gave the mistaken impression that you had made a direct call for violent action."
The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, which holds Trump's fortune and is managed by Donald Trump Jr., is linked to approximately 400 entities, with Trump listed as the sole beneficiary, according to BBC filings. Trump's legal team had previously characterized the BBC's demand for financial records as a "fishing expedition."
The BBC argues that the financial records will demonstrate an increase of more than $1 billion in Trump's wealth over the past year, which would contradict his claim that the documentary harmed him financially. This assertion was reported by Bloomberg.
In an attempt to mitigate the impact of the ruling, Trump's legal team signaled a shift in their claims, stating they would pursue only reputational damages and drop the economic damage claims. Attorney Alejandro Brito informed the judge that the case had "evolved" and that "the damages are limited in a way that is different from when the case was originally filed."
However, Judge Lett indicated she did not have the authority to strike the business claims herself. BBC lawyer Chuck Tobin argued that separating the man from his businesses was not feasible, stating, "He ran for President of the United States on a platform of the art of the deal. You cannot separate the man and his reputation from his operation of his businesses."
The BBC is also seeking to depose Trump under oath, with Tobin noting that Trump's team had ignored requests to schedule the deposition. Trump has the option to appeal Lett's ruling to District Judge Roy Altman. Separately, the BBC is challenging the jurisdiction of the Florida court, arguing the television program did not air in the United States.