Trump trust seeks pause on court order to disclose finances to BBC
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A federal judge was asked by the Trump revocable trust to delay compliance with a subpoena requiring the release of the former president's financial records to the BBC, which is pursuing a $10 billion claim over a documentary.
A federal judge in Washington was petitioned on Wednesday by the revocable trust that holds President Donald Trump’s assets to suspend an order that obliges the trust to provide extensive financial documents to the British broadcaster BBC. The trust asked that the deadline be extended until 14 days after the court rules on Trump’s amended complaint and any subsequent appeals are resolved, a timeline that could stretch for months.
The BBC argues the trust’s request is an “emergency” filing made only a day before the original production deadline, after months of what it describes as the plaintiff’s refusal to supply documents, sworn answers, and deposition dates needed to support its claim for $10 billion in damages stemming from a 2024 documentary that was never aired in the United States.
The broadcaster’s subpoena seeks a wide range of records, including the trust agreement, annual valuations, tax returns, deeds, and details on hundreds of Trump-linked entities such as the Trump Organization, Trump Media & Technology Group, World Liberty Financial, and various licensing and cryptocurrency holdings. It also requests information on tangible personal property such as vehicles, jewelry, art, antiques, collectibles, and digital assets.
If the judge grants the pause, it remains uncertain when, or if, the BBC will obtain the requested documents. A protective order already limits public access to some materials, and the trust may seek to keep additional records sealed. Nonetheless, the BBC maintains that Trump’s $10 billion claim is unfounded and that the documents will likely appear in future court filings.
The trust is controlled by Donald Trump Jr., while Donald Trump remains the sole person who can add assets to or benefit from the trust. The dispute follows Trump’s December lawsuit against the BBC over its “Panorama” documentary, which the broadcaster says was not defamatory despite an apology for a misleading edit of Trump’s remarks about the January 6 rally.