Judge swapped in Trump's defamation case against BBC
Summary
A judge nominated by President Donald Trump, Jeffrey Kuntz, has taken over as the judge in Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The case concerns the BBC’s Panorama programme editing a speech Trump gave before the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, and the trial is set for February 2027.Key Facts
- Jeffrey Kuntz was nominated by President Trump in April 2024 and confirmed by the Senate last month.
- Kuntz replaced Judge Roy Altman, who was previously handling Trump's defamation case against the BBC.
- Trump is suing the BBC over edited footage in its Panorama episode that combined parts of his speech from January 6, 2021.
- The BBC has apologized for the editing but asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing lack of defamation and court jurisdiction.
- The trial is scheduled for February 2027, and President Trump has requested a jury trial.
- Kuntz was involved in another defamation case favoring Trump involving the Pulitzer Prize board in 2025.
- There were concerns about a conflict of interest because Kuntz was in talks about his federal appointment while ruling on a case involving Trump.
- Kuntz stated he followed judicial ethics and was contacted by the White House only after giving his legal opinion.
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