Judge Enjoliqué Lett ordered President Trump to produce financial records from the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust after the BBC sought them in a $10bn defamation case over a Panorama edit of his Jan 6 remarks. The ruling is a partial win for the BBC, while the court issued a mixed decision on requests tied to the Capitol riot. Discovery disputes — including contested document totals and pending motions to dismiss — remain unresolved and may be appealed.
Judge Orders Trump To Hand Over Financial Records Sought By BBC In $10bn Defamation Suit
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A Florida judge has ordered President Donald Trump to produce financial records from the Donald J Trump Revocable Trust after the BBC sought them in his $10bn (£7.5bn) defamation lawsuit over a Panorama episode that compiled excerpts of his remarks on 6 January 2021.
Partial Win For The BBC
At a Miami hearing, Judge Enjoliqué Lett granted the BBC's motion to compel the release of documents held by the trust Mr Trump created to manage his business interests while serving as president. The ruling, issued on Tuesday, can be appealed by the president's legal team.
What The Court Decided
The decision is a partial victory for the BBC as it seeks evidence to challenge Mr Trump's claim that the Panorama edit caused him financial harm. The judge issued a split ruling on a separate BBC request for materials directly related to the events of the Capitol riot, granting some requests while denying others.
Discovery Battle Intensifies
The hearing focused on discovery — the pre-trial exchange of documents and records. The BBC says it has produced roughly 87,000 pages of material. The broadcaster's lawyers characterised the documents supplied by Mr Trump's team as a "sham production" of just 735 pages, largely composed of news clippings and material "pulled from the internet."
"The discovery process has been entirely one-sided," said Charles Tobin, counsel for the BBC.
Trump's counsel, Alejandro Brito, pushed back, calling the BBC's requests "oppressive" and "sweeping," and objected to subpoenas seeking communications about the Capitol riot and records from federal agencies and former officials. His team accused the BBC of launching a "fishing expedition" and attempting to "harass" former officials.
Letter From BBC Chairman
A central point in the defence argument was a November letter from BBC Chairman Samir Shah to Mr Trump, in which Shah apologised for the Panorama clip and said it had unintentionally given the "mistaken impression that President Trump made a direct call for violent action." Counsel for Mr Trump described that letter as tantamount to a concession or admission by the BBC.
Other Motions Remain Pending
Separately, Mr Trump dropped the BBC's commercial arm from the lawsuit, though the primary case remains active. The BBC has also filed a motion to dismiss the entire suit on the grounds that the programme was not broadcast in the United States; that motion is still pending before the court.
Next steps: Discovery will continue, and the judge's order on the trust records may be appealed. Additional rulings are expected on the remaining discovery disputes and the BBC's motion to dismiss.
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