BBC seeks to subpoena Trump's family members in Panorama lawsuit
The BBC's lawyers argue Trump's family members "have personal knowledge" of his intentions in the speech he gave outside the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.
The BBC has filed a request to serve subpoenas on members of the Trump family to obtain documents and testimony related to the US president's $10bn defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster. According to court filings, representatives for the BBC's legal team attempted to deliver subpoenas to Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner in May.
The president is suing the BBC over an edited BBC Panorama episode that misrepresented his speech before the 2021 Capitol riots. The BBC has previously apologized for the editing error but denies it constitutes defamation. The BBC argues that the family members had personal knowledge of Trump's intentions in delivering the speech, making their testimony and documents relevant to the defamation claim.
The filing requests that the court allow the subpoenas to be served via email and certified mail, stating attempts to serve them in person were unsuccessful. The BBC is seeking Trump's financial records as part of the lawsuit, arguing that disclosure would cause irreparable harm.
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