A US federal judge has temporarily halted an order requiring Donald Trump to provide the BBC with detailed financial information about his business empire in an ongoing libel lawsuit.
US district judge Roy Altman issued the pause while considering Trump’s request to revise and narrow his claims over a BBC documentary about the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
At a glance:
- The earlier order required Trump to begin producing extensive financial records by 6 August.
- The records would cover hundreds of businesses held by the Trump family trust.
- Trump’s lawyers want to narrow the case to alleged reputational harm, while the BBC says his business value remains relevant.
- Trump’s proposed amended complaint still seeks $10bn in damages, according to the BBC’s lawyers.
| Earlier position | Current position | |
|---|---|---|
| Financial records | Trump was ordered to begin producing extensive records by 6 August. | Judge Roy Altman has temporarily paused that order. |
| Next legal issue | The records order proceeded while the broader claims remained in dispute. | Altman is considering whether Trump can revise and narrow his lawsuit. |
Why the judge paused the records order
Trump’s attorneys asked the court on Wednesday to suspend the discovery order, describing the BBC’s demands as a “shockingly broad amount of information” driven by political motivations. The four-page order was signed on Wednesday and released on Thursday.
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Altman said Trump’s effort to remove claims that the documentary damaged his brand and businesses could reduce the BBC’s need to obtain his financial records. Trump’s lawyers are seeking to focus the case on alleged reputational harm.
What the BBC says the records could show
The BBC argues that Trump’s business value remains relevant because his public reputation was closely linked to his success as a businessman. Its lawyers also say the proposed amended complaint, which has not been made public, still seeks $10bn in damages.
The broadcaster contends that a damages demand of that size would be difficult to support if Trump’s case were based only on reputational harm. The temporary pause leaves the scope of financial discovery tied to the judge’s decision on the proposed changes to the lawsuit.
The documentary dispute
The lawsuit concerns a scene in the BBC documentary Trump: A Second Chance, which edited portions of Trump’s 6 January 2021 speech in a way that made it appear he directly encouraged supporters to attack the US Capitol.
The BBC has apologized for the edit but maintains that Trump’s defamation allegations lack merit. Trump has argued that the 2024 documentary, which aired in the UK, harmed his business interests.
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