Trump Faces Sweeping Demand to Disclose Medical and Financial Records in Defamation Lawsuit Against Pulitzer Prize Board

The Pulitzer Prize Board has initiated an aggressive discovery request aimed at compelling President Donald Trump to surrender years of personal records—including tax returns, financial documents, and comprehensive medical and psychological files. The demand is tied to Trump’s ongoing defamation lawsuit against the panel.

This action follows Trump’s 2022 legal challenge after the Pulitzer Prize Board refused to rescind the 2018 National Reporting Pulitzers awarded to The New York Times and The Washington Post for their reporting on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump has consistently asserted that this coverage was false and defamatory, claiming the board’s defense of the prizes further damaged his reputation.

Attorneys for the Pulitzer Prize Board filed a 12-page discovery request in Okeechobee County, Florida on December 11, seeking extensive documentation to evaluate Trump’s allegations of reputational, emotional, and psychological harm. The filing was submitted by law firms Ballard Spahr and Atherton Galardi Mullen & Reeder on behalf of 20 board members, described as prominent journalists, academics, and media executives.

If granted, the request could compel Trump to disclose private medical information publicly, potentially intensifying scrutiny of his health. This development occurs amid ongoing press attention surrounding routine medical evaluations, including reports that Trump has undergone at least three “cognitive exams” this year and an MRI scan, as well as speculation regarding minor bruising observed on his hand.

The board seeks Trump’s tax returns from 2015 to the present, detailed financial records, and complete medical and psychological documentation—including prescription medications. The filing asserts that such information is necessary to assess Trump’s claims for damages. Additionally, the discovery demand targets details related to Trump’s prior legal actions and his allegations that the board’s statements influenced the 2020 presidential election.

A spokesperson for the president’s legal team stated: “President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, lies, and smears to account, and he will see this powerhouse lawsuit through to a winning conclusion. This case has always been about correcting the record, revealing the truth, and vindicating the president and his supporters against the lies told to the American people by the Democrats and their PR machine known as ‘legacy media.’”

In prior remarks, the Pulitzer Prize Board defended the awards, asserting that both reviews of The New York Times and The Washington Post reporting converged on the conclusion that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any winning submissions were discredited by facts emerging after the prizes were awarded. The panel declared: “The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand.”

Trump has 30 days to respond to the discovery request, with options to produce documents, challenge the scope of demands, or assert legal privilege.