Judge orders Trump to disclose financial records in BBC defamation lawsuit
A U.S. magistrate judge ruled that President Donald Trump must provide detailed financial information from his businesses as part of his $10 billion defamation suit against the BBC.
A federal magistrate judge in Washington ordered President Donald Trump to produce detailed financial records from the businesses held in his family trust as part of his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation. The decision, issued during a discovery hearing on Tuesday, also permits the BBC to subpoena several members of Trump’s inner circle, including Donald Trump Jr., Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, in an effort to assess the president’s intent surrounding the January 6 Capitol attack.
Trump filed the lawsuit late last year over a BBC documentary that edited his speech to suggest he directly urged supporters to storm the Capitol. The broadcaster apologized for the edit but maintains the defamation claim lacks merit. The court’s ruling could give the BBC access to financial data that may contradict Trump’s assertion that the documentary harmed his business reputation.
Trump’s legal team indicated it will likely appeal the order and is seeking to amend the complaint to limit the scope of required disclosures, arguing the documentary caused only reputational damage. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.