US judge orders Trump to sit for deposition in $10bn lawsuit against BBC
A US judge has ordered Donald Trump to cooperate with discovery in his $10bn lawsuit against the BBC and sit for a deposition by 11 December, warning of potential sanctions including dismissal of the case.
The lawsuit centers on a Panorama documentary that spliced together Trump's comments from a 6 January 2021 rally before the US Capitol riot. While not readily available in Florida, Trump's team claims he was personally damaged under Florida's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Discovery issues
During a Miami hearing, Judge Lett rejected Trump's request to prevent videotaping of the seven-hour deposition, which will only be accessible to attorneys in the case. The judge agreed with the BBC that Trump's team hasn't been sufficiently forthcoming with internal documents.
We still have a completely lopsided [situation] here on discovery. They have produced absolutely nothing of any substance.
Sanctions threatened
Lett gave Trump's team 30 days to produce relevant documents, warning that "failure to do so could result in sanctions, including possible dismissal of the suit." The judge stated this was "the last opportunity" for adequate participation in discovery.
The deposition was rescheduled after Trump's team canceled the original 16 October date for "other matters of national importance," though the BBC claimed he was campaigning in Georgia. Lett threatened sanctions if Trump doesn't comply with the new deadline.
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