The BBC has asked a U.S. court for help in getting documents and testimony from members of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s family in connection with his $10-billion defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster.
Defamation Lawsuit
Lawyers for the BBC argued that Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump, Jr. have “personal knowledge” and likely have records relevant to elements of Trump’s claims against the broadcaster.
The lawsuit accuses the BBC of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices, centering on the way a 2024 documentary edited a speech Trump gave on January 6, 2021, before protesters attacked the Capitol in Washington.
The BBC has apologized to Trump for the misleading edit, but said it had not defamed him. The broadcaster has been unable to serve subpoenas because the three have Secret Service protection and other security personnel around them.
Testimony Sought
The BBC has asked the court to allow the subpoenas to be served by email and certified mail. The judge has given Trump’s legal team until Friday to respond to the BBC’s request.
Trump’s legal team said that “the BBC is simply trying to distract away from their own obvious liability.” A trial has been provisionally set for February in the case.
Original reporting: KTSA News/Talk (San Antonio) — read the source article.
