Jan. 13 (UPI) -- The BBC said Tuesday that it will attempt to have U.S. President Donald Trump's lawsuit seeking $10 billion over a misleading documentary on the Jan. 6 riots tossed from a court in Florida.
Trump is suing for $5 billion in damages for alleged defamation plus $5 billion for an alleged state trade law violation, but the motion the British public broadcaster is set to file will argue the court has no jurisdiction over the BBC, is an "improper venue" and that Trump had "failed to state a claim [for defamation]," according to court papers.
The corporation asked for all pre-trial proceedings, including discovery, to be halted pending a ruling on the motion.
The BBC previously apologized and issued a retraction over edits to a speech Trump gave to supporters before the storming of the U.S. Capitol, which made it appear, wrongly, as if he was "making a direct call to violent action," but which the corporation insists was an unintentional error of judgment.
The legal standard for defamation is deliberate or reckless publishing of a falsehood causing reputational harm, but the BBC insists it is not liable because Trump suffered no actual damage, pointing to his decisive victory in the 2024 election, including in Florida.
