BBC accuses Trump of dodging deposition in US$10 billion defamation suit
MIAMI: The BBC has asked a judge to order US President Donald Trump to set a firm date to give sworn testimony in his US$10 billion defamation lawsuit against the network, court filings showed.
The BBC has requested a judge to order US President Donald Trump to set a definitive date for providing sworn testimony in the network's US$10 billion defamation lawsuit, according to court documents. Trump's legal team had originally agreed to a deposition date of October 16, but later suggested shifting it to January, as reported by the BBC's legal team in a court filing on Tuesday.
The BBC is seeking to compel Trump to establish a deposition date and address the matter during an Oct 22 hearing to discuss other procedural matters. The lawsuit stems from a BBC documentary that edited a Trump speech prior to his supporters' violent assault on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The trial is scheduled for February 2027.
The BBC has been engaged in discovery for nearly eight months, with seven depositions of BBC witnesses already conducted and only two months of discovery remaining. Trump has filed a US$10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, claiming at least US$5 billion for each of two counts. The BBC documentary in question combined two segments of Trump's Jan 6 speech, creating the impression that he had directly incited his supporters to attack the Capitol.
The BBC has expressed regret for the editing error, which led to the resignation of several senior executives, but denies causing Trump any real harm and has requested the case be dismissed.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
