MIAMI — A federal magistrate judge has ordered President Donald Trump to answer questions under oath in his lawsuit against the BBC by Dec. 11 or face sanctions, BBC News reported.
Trump is suing the broadcaster over a Panorama episode that edited together two separate sections of the speech he gave on Jan. 6, 2021, before the riot at the U.S. Capitol. The BBC has apologised for the edit, saying it gave “the mistaken impression that Trump made a direct call for violent action,” but has asked the court to dismiss the suit.
Trump cancelled a scheduled deposition on Oct. 16, citing “matters of national importance.” BBC lawyer Charles Tobin told the court in Miami on Thursday that Trump was campaigning in Georgia that day and had “prioritised that.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett said the most extreme possible sanction could be dismissal of the lawsuit, unless the discovery period is extended. In a filing Wednesday, Trump’s lawyers proposed a deposition between Jan. 11 and 22 and said the BBC was “wrong to claim that President Trump is avoiding his deposition.”
In July, Trump’s lawyers conceded they had no evidence the documentary was available in the U.S., and Trump dropped his claims against BBC Studios, the broadcaster’s commercial arm.
Sources: BBC News
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