Trump Filing Tries to Keep Financial Records From BBC

President Trump's business trust has launched a last-minute effort to keep his financial records out of the BBC's hands during a $10 billion defamation lawsuit battle. Lawyers for the trust on Wednesday asked a federal judge to halt an order requiring them to turn over Trump's financial documents, arguing that once disclosed, the information can't be "un-disclosed" even if a higher court later rules the release wasn't necessary, Forbes reports. The BBC is seeking the records to test Trump's claim that a 2024 documentary on his speech to supporters just before the Capitol riot so damaged his business and brand that it warrants an 11-figure payout.

Trump has now revised his lawsuit to say the film mainly hurt his personal reputation, not his businesses—a shift his trust says should wipe out the need for business records. The BBC pushed back in a court filing, calling the emergency move a "transparent effort" to dodge discovery and saying Trump has dragged his feet for months on producing documents and answering questions. For now, the order requires the trust to hand over financial records, including tax returns, dating back to 2023. Court documents show the trust includes at least 400 business entities, according to court documents, per Courthouse News Service.