Former US President Donald Trump is seeking a court order in Florida compelling Rupert Murdoch to provide a deposition within 15 days for Trump’s lawsuit against . Trump’s lawyers cite Murdoch’s age and health as justification for the expedited deposition.
Trump filed the lawsuit against the Journal, which is owned by Murdoch, in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on July 18th. The suit concerns a story published by the Journal regarding Trump’s alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier accused of sex trafficking. Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Trump’s motion, filed with the court on Monday, highlights Murdoch’s age (94), reported recent health concerns, and presumed residence in New York.
“Taken together, these factors weigh heavily in determining that Murdoch would be unavailable for in-person testimony at trial,” the motion states.
News Corp, Murdoch’s company, has not yet responded to requests for comment.
According to Trump’s motion, Murdoch’s legal counsel indicated opposition to the expedited deposition during a phone conversation.
