Updated
Updated · The Independent · Aug 17
Trump Accuses BBC of Harassment Over 3 Family Subpoenas in $10 Billion Defamation Suit
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Aug 17

Trump Accuses BBC of Harassment Over 3 Family Subpoenas in $10 Billion Defamation Suit

3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Aug 17

Summary

  • Trump said the BBC is abusing the deposition process after it asked a U.S. court to subpoena Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner in his $10 billion defamation case.
  • The broadcaster argues the three were in the Oval Office when Trump prepared his Jan. 6, 2021 speech, making them material witnesses to whether a Panorama edit meaningfully altered his remarks.
  • BBC lawyers said attempts to serve the subpoenas have failed because the relatives are protected by the Secret Service, and asked to use email and certified mail instead.
  • Trump's legal team must respond by Friday before a February trial in Miami over the documentary, which the BBC already apologized for editing in a way that suggested a direct call for violence.

Insights

Can an admitted video editing error by a foreign broadcaster truly result in a $10 billion penalty in a U.S. defamation trial?
Will the unprecedented push to serve legal papers via email to Secret Service-protected individuals redefine high-profile international lawsuits?