The BBC has hit back at Donald Trump’s $10B lawsuit and officially sought a motion to dismiss.
With trial date set for next year, the BBC has today “challenged jurisdiction” of the Florida court due to the fact that the Panorama documentary did not air in the States.
“Put simply – the documentary was never aired in Florida – or the US,” said a BBC spokespeson. “It wasn’t available to watch in the US on iPlayer, online or any other streaming platforms including BritBox and BBC Select. We have therefore challenged jurisdiction of the Florida court and filed a motion to dismiss the President’s claim.”
BBC News has previously reported on court documents that said the corporation would seek dismissal because Trump’s claim lacks “personal jurisdiction” and the court venue is “improper.”
The Panorama editing SNAFU cost the BBC director general and head of news their jobs.
Trump claims that the infamous edit, which saw two sections of his January 6 Capitol speech put together to make it appear as if he was inciting insurrection, is “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory and malicious.” He is seeking $5B over defamation and another $5B over violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
While the BBC has apologized for the edit amid a great deal of internal reckoning, it has always maintained it was not done maliciously and that it would fight the legal battle tooth and nail. This comes after various Trump settlements with American news networks including CBS and ABC.
