TRUMP ORDERED TO DIVULGE FINANCIAL RECORDS IN BBC LAWSUIT

A federal judge has ruled that Donald Trump must disclose detailed financial information from his businesses as part of his $10bn defamation lawsuit against the BBC. US magistrate judge Enjoliqué Lett made the decision during a discovery hearing on Tuesday. The ruling also permits the BBC to subpoena dozens of members of Trump's inner circle, including Donald Trump Jr, Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, according to reports. Trump's legal team is expected to appeal the decision.

Trump filed the lawsuit in late 2024 seeking $10bn in damages over a BBC documentary titled "Trump, A Second Chance." The documentary featured a scene from a speech Trump made before supporters attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, with edited footage that the BBC later acknowledged was misleading. The BBC apologised for the edit but has argued that Trump's defamation claims lack legal merit. Trump's lawyers are attempting to amend the complaint to argue the documentary caused only reputational damage rather than business harm, which would narrow the scope of required financial disclosures.

The BBC intends to use Trump's financial records to argue that his wealth increased after the documentary aired, contradicting claims that it undermined his businesses. The disclosure ruling opens access to financial information from the hundreds of businesses held within Trump's family trust. The White House did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment on the judge's decision.