Kathmandu— Former President Donald Trump is urging a federal judge to reject a bid by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to secure testimony and documents from three members of his family – Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump Jr. – in relation to his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster. Trump’s legal team argues that the BBC is attempting to gain “politically-driven leverage” through subpoenas served on his family members, while the BBC seeks permission to serve those subpoenas via certified mail after initial attempts were blocked by Secret Service agents.

Subpoena Attempts and Legal Dispute

The BBC attempted to personally serve subpoenas on Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner at their residence in May, but were met by Secret Service personnel who declined to accept them. A subsequent attempt to serve Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower in New York also failed. In response, the BBC filed a motion with the court last week requesting permission to deliver the subpoenas via certified mail. Trump’s lawyers contend that this request is part of an improperly broad and politically motivated discovery campaign.

Underlying Defamation Claim

Trump’s lawsuit, filed in December, centers on allegations that the BBC deceptively edited portions of a speech he delivered near the White House on January 6, 2021, during the Capitol attack. The suit claims the BBC intentionally misrepresented his statements by splicing together separate parts of the speech to create a false narrative. Trump alleges this was a deliberate attempt to interfere with and influence the 2024 presidential election to his detriment.

Case Reassignment and Timeline

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz in Miami recently inherited the case from another judge, though the reason for the reassignment remains unclear. The previous judge had already set a trial date for February 2025. Despite issuing an apology for a misleading edit, the BBC denies defaming Trump and is actively pursuing discovery related to the lawsuit.

Judge Kuntz has not yet ruled on the dispute over the subpoenas, leaving the future of the BBC’s attempts to gather testimony from Trump’s family members uncertain.

(With inputs from AP)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.