Judge pauses order for Trump to disclose financial records pending amended complaint in BBC lawsuit
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A Florida federal judge has temporarily halted a directive that President Donald Trump release his financial records, while he seeks to narrow his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC to reputational damages only.
A U.S. district judge in Miami granted President Donald Trump a brief stay on an order requiring him to produce financial records related to his business empire. The pause will remain in effect while Trump’s lawyers file an amended complaint that limits the lawsuit against the British broadcaster to alleged reputational harm, a move that could eliminate the need for the disclosures, the judge wrote.
Trump’s original suit, filed in December, alleges that a BBC documentary edited his January 6, 2021 speech in a way that misrepresented his call for peaceful protest. He is seeking $5 billion in damages for defamation and another $5 billion for unfair trade practices. The BBC has apologized for the edit but denies that it defamed the former president.
Judge Roy Altman said Trump’s argument that an amended complaint might remove the requirement for financial disclosure was “compelling,” and therefore a stay was prudent until the amendment is resolved. The earlier order from a magistrate judge had set a deadline for Trump to begin releasing the records.
Freedom of the Press Foundation advocacy director Seth Stern noted that Trump could drop the case if the BBC successfully argues that financial data remains relevant to the claimed reputational harm. He added that the $10 billion damages figure appears inconsistent with the president’s electoral victory following the contested reporting.
The case is scheduled for a provisional trial in February, amid a series of lawsuits the former president has launched against media outlets he says have treated him unfairly.