President Donald Trump has been ordered to provide financial records tied to hundreds of business entities as part of his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, after a federal judge ruled the requested discovery is relevant to the case.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett issued the ruling following a hearing in Miami, rejecting Trump’s effort to shield records related to the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, which holds many of the president’s business interests and is administered by Donald Trump Jr.
According to court proceedings, the trust is connected to nearly 400 business entities.
Judge Lett ruled that Trump’s own lawsuit placed the value of his business empire and reputation at issue.
“All of President Trump’s brand, properties and businesses are impugned or said to have been impugned. Reputational, economic damages, all of that is now at issue in this case,” Lett said during the hearing, according to Politico.
The judge also declined to quash subpoenas seeking records and communications from several people close to Trump, including Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Stephen Miller.
The BBC is seeking communications related to the Jan. 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally, as well as materials previously provided to federal investigators, arguing the documents could help establish Trump’s state of mind.
The lawsuit centers on a BBC “Panorama” documentary that Trump alleges deceptively edited his Jan. 6 speech by combining separate portions of his remarks to create the impression he directly encouraged violence at the U.S. Capitol.
According to the complaint, the documentary edited together Trump’s statement that supporters would “walk down to the Capitol” with his later remark to “fight like hell,” even though the comments were made roughly 50 minutes apart.
Trump argues the edit falsely portrayed him as inciting the Capitol riot and damaged his reputation.
The BBC has acknowledged the documentary created what it described as a “mistaken impression.”
According to reports, BBC Chairman Samir Shah wrote to Trump last year acknowledging the broadcast “gave the mistaken impression that you had made a direct call for violent action.”
The broadcaster, however, is contesting Trump’s claims for damages.
According to Bloomberg, BBC attorneys argue Trump’s wealth has increased by more than $1 billion since the documentary aired, undermining claims that the broadcast caused economic harm.
During the hearing, Trump’s legal team said the case has evolved and that the president is no longer pursuing damages tied to the value of his businesses, per the Daily Mail.
Attorney Alejandro Brito told the court Trump is now seeking damages primarily for harm to his personal reputation rather than business losses.
Judge Lett said she could not simply disregard the business-related allegations because they remain part of the complaint.
BBC attorney Chuck Tobin argued that Trump’s business reputation and personal reputation cannot be separated, noting Trump’s long-standing public identity as a businessman.
The BBC is also seeking to depose Trump under oath as the litigation moves forward.
Trump may appeal Lett’s discovery ruling to U.S. District Judge Roy Altman, who is overseeing the case.
Separately, the BBC continues seeking dismissal of the lawsuit, arguing a Florida court lacks jurisdiction because the documentary at issue was not broadcast in the U.S.
