US government looks at joining Donald Trump lawsuit against BBC

{"text":[[{"start":9.15,"text":"The US government is looking to participate in Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the BBC, in a move that would further complicate the flagship defamation dispute. "}],[{"start":18.75,"text":"The president is suing the British broadcaster over a documentary that spliced together parts of his speech to supporters on January 6. He is seeking $10bn in damages. "}],[{"start":31.25,"text":"According to filings seen by the FT, the US government told the court in Florida “that it is considering participating in this litigation”. "}],[{"start":39.9,"text":"The potential involvement of the US government in a civil case has raised concerns at the BBC over the fudging of edges between the interests of the state and the president."}],[{"start":50.349999999999994,"text":"The “conflict of interest is clear and stark”, the BBC said in a filing responding to the US government’s submission. "}],[{"start":57.55,"text":"Lawyers for the BBC also pointed to remarks in another court case that “although President Trump avers that he is bringing this lawsuit in his personal capacity, he is the sitting president,” and the US agencies “are entities whose decisions are subject to his direction”."}],[{"start":72.85,"text":"The broadcaster has apologised for the documentary but vowed to fight Trump’s suit. It has argued that the case should be thrown out of the Florida court, as there is no evidence that the documentary in question was viewed in the US."}],[{"start":86.1,"text":"In a submission last month, the US government sought to justify its involvement by pointing to the BBC’s requests for evidence. It said that the BBC had served 48 subpoenas for production of documents, including some on executive branch agencies. "}],[{"start":101.35,"text":"This week the US government told the court in a new filing that the BBC’s subpoenas for information from government entities and officials failed to meet the relevant legal standards."}],[{"start":111.35,"text":"The Trump administration has attempted to wade into several civil lawsuits faced by the president, with little success."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":118.1,"text":"In long-running lawsuits aiming to hold Trump liable for the attack on the Capitol on January 6 2021, the DoJ certified that Trump’s alleged conduct fell within the scope of his employment as president and sought to substitute itself as the defendant for any claims for damages. "}],[{"start":135.1,"text":"But in March, a federal judge refused that effort, saying that “winning re-election is not a function or outgrowth of the job of an incumbent officeholder; therefore, acts in furtherance of that end fall outside the scope of employment under District of Columbia law”."}],[{"start":151.65,"text":"The Trump administration also said it would seek to substitute itself as the defendant in Trump’s appeal of an $83.3mn jury verdict in writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit — a move that would spell doom for Carroll’s case because the federal government cannot be sued for defamation. "}],[{"start":169.45000000000002,"text":"A federal appeals court panel previously rejected the DoJ’s effort to step in for Trump, and the Supreme Court last week signalled no appetite for a related case. But the Trump administration has asked the top court to reconsider."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":184.60000000000002,"text":"In Trump’s suit against the BBC, the US government would be seeking to join as an interested party, not as a plaintiff. "}],[{"start":192.85000000000002,"text":"In a separate filing, the BBC also said Trump had still not provided any of the financial information requested by its lawyers in a case that alleges reputational and financial injury and harm to “the value of his brand, properties and businesses”. "}],[{"start":208.85000000000002,"text":"The FT revealed last month that Trump had not given any financial documents related to the case so far."}],[{"start":214.85000000000002,"text":"Trump’s counsel proposed that there would be an initial document production by July 20, with rolling document productions to proceed after, the filing stated. Another filing this week urged the court to reject the BBC’s request to dismiss the case."}],[{"start":236.65,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1784182453_6696.mp3"}