Donald Trump has been rumored to be considering offering the rapper a presidential pardon, but he acknowledged the star’s legal team had not yet requested one from the trial’s start.
Donald Trump has said he is unlikely to pardon Sean “Diddy” Combs following the music mogul’s conviction for transportation to engage in prostitution,
The former president admitted to being “seriously considering” the possibility in an interview with Newsmax on Friday. Trump did, however, ultimately say that the answer was “more likely a no.”
“Well, he was essentially, sort of, half-innocent. Trump said, “I don’t know what they did to make him feel like he’s still in jail or something.” He was congratulating himself on a victory, but I suppose it wasn’t as good as it was.
Sharon Osbourne breaks down in tears at Ozzy’s funeral in heartbreaking scenesMeghan Markle and Prince Harry are set for new ‘goldmine’ offer – but could face issue
Combs, 55, was cleared earlier this month of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges involving her ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and another named Jane. However, he was found guilty of violating the Mann Act by being found guilty on two federal prostitution-related charges and is currently facing up to 10 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for October 3.
Trump recalls having a friendly rapport with Combs in the past as they were both prominent figures in New York. But he claimed that their relationship soured after Trump entered politics, pointing to Combs’ vocal support of Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race.
Trump told interviewer Rob Finnerty, “When I ran for office, he was very hostile.” He made some depressing statements, so I’m not sure, because that makes things harder to do. Trump responded, “I’d say so,” when asked whether a pardon was off the table.
Behind the scenes, sources previously indicated that the idea of a pardon had moved beyond idle talk and was being taken seriously by the Trump team. One insider told Deadline it had progressed from “just another Trump weave to an actionable event”.
Combs’ legal team has already filed for either an acquittal or a retrial. In a strongly worded motion, his lawyers argued that his conviction under the Mann Act was unprecedented and should be overturned.
This decision is untrue, I believe. They argued that the conviction, which was based on an improperly applied, overbroad statute, should not stand. They also claimed that no sexual activity was suspected by anyone involved in the so-called “Freak-Offs” and that no sexual activity was occurring during the “Freak-Offs.”
They added that Combs’ activities were similar to those of producing amateur adult movies for private viewing, and that the First Amendment protected his rights.
The motion continued, “The men were paid for their time.” They engaged in the activities and made friends with Ms. Ventura and Jane, and they didn’t just travel to get rich from sex for money.
Combs’ attorneys argue that a retrial should be ordered because “severe spillover prejudice” could result from the inclusion of inflammatory evidence, including surveillance footage from a 2016 incident showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura. Combs is still being held in a Brooklyn jail.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply