U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett ordered President Donald Trump to sit for questioning by Dec. 11 in his $10 billion defamation case against the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC), setting the next step in the dispute.
The order requires Trump to answer BBC lawyers’ questions under oath. Lett set Dec. 11 as the final date and said Trump could face sanctions, including dismissal of the suit, if he does not comply.
Trump was due to give a deposition Oct. 16 but canceled, citing “a matter of national importance.” BBC lawyer Charles Tobin told Lett Trump was campaigning in Georgia that day.
The case concerns the BBC documentary “Trump: A Second Chance,” which used excerpts from a Jan. 6, 2021, speech. Trump alleges the edit suggested he encouraged supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol. The BBC acknowledged that producers joined remarks from different parts of the address and apologized for the editing, while denying that it defamed Trump.
Al Jazeera reported that press freedom advocates had raised concerns about Trump’s lawsuits against news organizations, saying he frequently uses government pressure and legal threats to influence coverage. The report also noted separate defamation cases involving The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and publisher Penguin Random House.
EconoTimes previously covered the deposition deadline and scheduling dispute. Trump’s deposition is due no later than Dec. 11.
