The BBC is asking a Miami federal judge to make Donald Trump name when and where he will be deposed in his $10 billion defamation suit against the broadcaster. It wants a ruling at an October 22 hearing, according to an October 13 filing.
Trump’s lawyers proposed October 16 for the deposition, then wrote September 28 that he was no longer available “due to other matters of national importance.” They later said he has no availability before discovery closes December 18, and offered mid-January 2027 if discovery is extended.
Read: A $10 Billion Defamation Suit Is Becoming a January 6 Discovery Nightmare for Trump
Sponsored · Altamira Gold Corp.
BBC attorney Charles Tobin wrote that the delays “flouted the cooperative spirit of discovery.” The BBC says it asked for dates five times starting July 10. It has deposed seven of its own witnesses, and Trump’s team said in July that, beyond the BBC’s side, only he is likely to have relevant information.
Without a set date and location, the BBC says it can’t issue the formal notice that would let a judge sanction a no-show. It noted that Trump’s $100 million suit against his niece ended in a settlement without his ever being deposed. Trump’s lawyers didn’t address the reason for the delay and repeated their claims that the BBC defamed him and interfered in the election.
Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett ruled October 9 that the BBC can serve subpoenas on Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner by certified mail and by email to Trump’s lawyers. The BBC says Trump Jr. and Ivanka were present in the Oval Office as Trump reworked his January 6, 2021 speech.
Read: Judge Confirms Trump Must Formally Hand Over Financial Records to the BBC
Trump’s lawyers call the effort leverage over the president’s family. Earlier attempts to serve them in person failed. Reports reviewed don’t say when any of them would testify.
Trump sued over the BBC documentary “Trump: A Second Chance,” which combined separate passages of his January 6 speech. The BBC apologized for the edit but denies defaming him. Reports reviewed show no ruling yet on the deposition request, which Lett is handling. A BBC motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction was still unresolved in July.
Read: Judge Lets Trump Amend BBC Suit, But Financial Disclosure Fight Isn’t Over
