Washington, United States. President Donald Trump’s lawyers asked a federal judge in May to stay discovery in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC pending a decision on a request to move related matters to a different judge. The BBC opposed the request.
Request to pause discovery
Trump has accused the publicly funded broadcaster of defaming him by splicing together parts of a January 6, 2021, speech to make it appear that he directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol.
His legal team said Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett’s “prior representation of a client that was directly adverse to President Trump creates an appearance of impropriety.”
Trump’s lawyers said they were seeking only a brief stay until the reassignment request was decided. It was not immediately clear when a ruling would be made.
BBC response
The BBC’s lawyers opposed the request, saying, “The impetus … appears to be the flat refusal by the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, a third party that is represented by the same counsel as plaintiff, to provide any financial information under subpoena.”
The broadcaster and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Details of the lawsuit
Trump’s lawsuit, filed in Florida in December, says the BBC violated a state law that bars deceptive and unfair trade practices. He is seeking damages of at least $5 billion on each of its two counts.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team told the Financial Times, which first reported the news on Friday, that the BBC was liable for “intentionally and maliciously defaming him by distorting and manipulating his speech.”
In a statement, the spokesperson added, “President Trump will continue to hold accountable the BBC and all those who traffic in fake news.”
Subpoena involving Trump trust
In an effort to determine the financial impact of the film, the BBC has subpoenaed the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, according to the Financial Times. The trust is managed by Donald Trump Jr as sole trustee and holds the president’s business interests and assets, the newspaper said.
