BBC wins court approval to subpoena Trump’s inner circle in $10 billion lawsuit over January 6 documentary | Today’s news
A US judge has allowed the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to issue subpoenas to several members of President Donald Trump’s inner circle as part of the broadcaster’s defense against Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit over a 2024 documentary about the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
US Judge Enjoliqué Lett ruled at a hearing in Miami on Tuesday that the subpoenas sought by the BBC were reasonable given the scope of Trump’s lawsuit. However, she said some of the information requested may need to be narrowed down before it is provided.
The judge grants the subpoena
The subpoenas target several prominent Trump allies and family members, including Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller and Michael Flynn.
The BBC is seeking emails, text messages and other communications related to the “Stop the Steal” rally held on January 6, 2021, as well as Trump’s wider efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The broadcaster also requested records previously provided by subpoena recipients to federal investigators.
Lawsuit over BBC documentary
Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit in December, claiming a BBC documentary released in 2024 falsely portrayed his role in the events that led to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The lawsuit centers on a 12-second edited clip of Trump’s speech before the riots. Trump claims the documentary misleadingly edited footage to make it appear he was directly calling for violence before his supporters stormed the US Capitol.
The BBC apologized for the editing error in November, but the apology did not prevent Trump from taking legal action.
The BBC says the subpoenas are key to the defence
The broadcaster argued that in order for Trump to succeed with his defamation claim, he must prove that the documentary falsely accused him of instigating the attack on the Capitol.
According to the BBC, communications from Trump’s closest advisers and family members could help establish Trump’s state of mind and actions related to the events of January 6, making the subpoenaed material relevant to his defense.
The ruling allows the BBC to move forward with disclosures in one of the most high-profile defamation cases involving a sitting US president, although the exact scope of the subpoena may still be specified by the court.
