Overview
- A federal judge granted President Trump leave to file an amended complaint on Monday that drops claims that the BBC harmed his businesses and limits damages to personal reputational injury.
- The amended claim must be filed the same day as the ruling, and Judge Roy K. Altman said Trump showed sufficient cause to make the change now.
- The BBC had sought extensive records from the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, including documents tied to about 400 companies, to prove the original $10 billion damages claim.
- Altman left contested discovery questions for Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué A. Lett to resolve and kept a temporary stay on producing trust records while the court reviews scope and relevance.
- The case began after a 2024 BBC Panorama edit of Trump’s Jan. 6 remarks led to a correction, apology and senior resignations, and the litigation could shape how courts balance public-figure defamation claims against probes of private business finances.