SerpApi.Org
Lawyers for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) are asking a federal judge to disregard a Department of Justice (DOJ) filing in President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the network, arguing that the government’s involvement raises “grave ethical concerns.”
In a court filing submitted on July 17, 2026, the network urged U.S. District Judge Roy Altman to give “no weight” to the DOJ’s statement of interest. The network argued that the department lacks legal standing to challenge many of the subpoenas at issue and appears to be acting more like Trump’s personal legal team than an independent government agency.
The dispute centers on dozens of third-party subpoenas the BBC issued while gathering evidence in the case. Many seek records related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and served on current and former government officials, agencies, and political figures. The DOJ has asked the court to limit those subpoenas, arguing they are overly broad and burdensome. It also said much of the requested information is already publicly available through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) releases and congressional investigations.
The BBC disagreed, arguing that the DOJ cannot dismiss ethical concerns simply because Trump filed the lawsuit in his personal capacity. To support its argument, the network cited a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in a separate case, Trump v. IRS. In that decision, Williams criticized what she described as a “non-adversarial, collusive” lawsuit that appeared designed to secure a favorable settlement from the IRS. “President Trump did not pursue his claims until he once again occupied the White House and had appointed his former lawyer, and the former lawyer of persons who are putative beneficiaries of the ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ to prominent positions in the DOJ,” the judge said.
Quoting that ruling, the BBC argued that the court should not ignore the fact that Trump now heads the executive branch, saying it would be a “credulous exercise” to separate his official position from the DOJ’s decision to intervene. The filing also pointed to what it described as an inconsistency in the DOJ’s position. While the department objected to a subpoena issued to Donald Trump Jr., the BBC said the U.S. Secret Service has prevented that subpoena from being served.
The network further argued that the government has no legal basis to challenge subpoenas issued to private individuals and organizations, including Sidney Powell, Roger Stone, the Republican National Committee, and WinRed. As for subpoenas directed at government agencies, the BBC said any objections should be raised in the appropriate court under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 45, not before Judge Altman.
The underlying lawsuit stems from a BBC documentary that Trump alleges misleadingly edited his January 6 speech, creating the false impression that he encouraged violence. The BBC has maintained that the editing error was unintentional and previously issued an apology. Trump, however, is seeking damages under Florida law, alleging defamation and violations of the state’s unfair trade practices law.
The DOJ filed its statement of interest just days before a scheduled discovery hearing. The BBC is now asking Judge Altman to disregard the filing altogether, warning that allowing the government to intervene in this way could undermine fairness and due process in future litigation involving a sitting president.
