The BBC has approached a U.S. court for assistance in obtaining documents and testimony from members of Donald Trump’s family. This request relates to Trump’s $10-billion defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster, according to court documents.

The broadcaster’s lawyers have claimed that Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump, Jr. possess “personal knowledge” and probably have records crucial to elements of Trump’s lawsuit. The BBC’s filing in federal court in Florida on Friday indicates difficulties in serving subpoenas due to the security detail surrounding the Trump family.

In December, Trump filed the lawsuit alleging defamation in addition to deceptive and unfair trade practices against the BBC. The allegations revolve around a documentary from 2024, which Trump claims misrepresented a speech he made on January 6, 2021. The lawsuit accuses the BBC of combining separate parts of his speech, thereby altering the intended meaning and impacting the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Although the BBC apologized for the misleading edit, it maintains there was no defamation. The court filing mentions Trump’s family had insights pertinent to proving “it would be materially false” to imply Trump’s incitement of violence on January 6, 2021. Notably, Donald Trump, Jr. and Ivanka Trump were reportedly present when Trump was finalizing his speech and had subsequent discussions during the Capitol violence.

The BBC requested Trump to facilitate serving the subpoenas or to engage the Secret Service to allow serving them, but he refused. Consequently, the court has been petitioned to permit subpoena service via email and certified mail.

Trump’s legal team has until Friday to respond to the BBC’s request. They assert that the BBC’s actions deflect attention from its alleged liability. The legal team accuses the BBC of defaming Trump intentionally and now seeking to distract by involving his family in deposition proceedings.

A trial is tentatively scheduled for February. Meanwhile, a federal judge recently offered Trump temporary relief from supplying details about his business finances. This pause remains as the judge reviews an amended complaint that revises claims of damage to Trump’s business and reputation.

Associated Press journalists Kate Brumback in Atlanta and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed to this report.