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Putting the feds in the spotlight for alleged shiftiness, Sean “Diddy” Combs is making a third attempt to get out of jail while he awaits trial on sex trafficking and other charges
Just like before, the Grammy winner is putting up a $50 million bond and making a lot of home detention pledges, but now stepping up to another court, Combs is accusing the government of playing fast and loose with evidence when it comes to claims of obstruction of justice and witness tampering on his part.
“The government’s arguments about the risk of obstruction were based on speculation, resting mainly on untested allegations about communications with witnesses in civil cases and communications initiated by supposed witnesses and not Mr. Combs,” says the rapper’s just filed motion from pretrial release to the US Court of Appeals for the Second District.
“Notably, search warrant affidavits disclosed to the defense on October 7, 2024, confirm …,” adds the filing with a thick redaction to the rest of the sentence. It continues: “But during its proffer to the court, the government concealed this fact—which completely undermines its claim that the timing of the contacts with the witness in September 2024 suggest obstruction.”
Like previous pre-trial release attempts by the defense, Combs appeal team say their client poses no flight risk – despite so-called “exaggerated rhetoric” from the feds.
Contacted by Deadline, SDNY US Attorney Damian Williams’ office had no comment on the very serious claims by the defense-led Alexandra A.E. Shapiro of Shapiro Arato Bach LLP.
Arrested in New York City on September 16 on charges from the Justice Department of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, Combs failed on both September 17 and September 18 to obtain release. The self-declared billionaire defendant has entered a not guilty plea. However, if the 54-year-old Combs is found guilty by a jury of his peers, he could face the rest of his life behind bars.
Currently, Combs is sitting in the infamously harsh Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
As well as this criminal matter, Combs has been hit by a plethora of civil actions spanning decades of alleged abuse.
While the plaintiffs in those civil cases range from past band mates to one of the producers on Combs most recent Love album and more, there appears to many commonalities of drugs, violence, videotaping, financial and career pressure and enablers to the filings. The cascade of accusations against Combs followed the short-lived case against the Bad Boy Entertainment founder in November 2023 from ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura Settled within 24 hours with a supposed $30 million payment to Ventura even after Combs’ lawyers cried shakedown, the allegations from the Me & U singer count assault, abuse, violence and vindictiveness from the rapper among them.
Combs denied all of Ventura’s claims at the time, but after the 2016 security footage of Combs beating Ventura in the halls of a LA hotel emerged on May 17, the “Last Night” singer took to social media in haste to apologize for his “inexcusable” behavior.
In the matter of today officially filed appeal, the next step is a response from the government and then a court hearing to follow. While all that transpires, a status conference is still on the books for October 10 in the case in front of newly minted Judge Arun Subramanian.
Because Combs did not waive his right to a speedy trial in a court appearance last month, Judge Subramanian replaced Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr. on October 3 as the judge overseeing the Southern District of New York case. Still with the appeal the defense put forth Tuesday, it will be unlikely this case goes to trial before 2026.
