FLORIDA: BBC Trump subpoenas could compel Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner to give evidence in President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit.
The BBC asked the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida to authorise the subpoenas. It also seeks documents tied to January 6, 2021.
The broadcaster argues that the three have relevant knowledge of Trump’s actions before and after the Capitol attack. Its filing cites congressional records involving the president’s speech and later responses.
Trump sued the BBC in December over a 2024 “Panorama” documentary. His lawyers say the program misleadingly combined two parts of his January 6 speech.
The BBC later apologised for the edit. It said the program created the mistaken impression that Trump had directly called for violent action. However, the broadcaster disputes that the edit supports a valid defamation claim.
Read: BBC Seeks Trump Family Subpoenas in $10 Billion US Case
Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of trying to harass the president and his family. The court gave Trump’s lawyers until Friday to respond to the filing.
The BBC also told the court that earlier attempts to serve the three subpoenas had failed. Those attempts involved Trump Tower in New York and Ivanka Trump’s Florida residence.
