- Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs charged with racketeering,sex trafficking
- Prosecutors: Diddy trying to ‘subvert court proceedings’ while in custody
- Defense: Seizure of Combs’ ‘privileged materials’ a violation of his rights
Kelley Connors, Cassie Buchman
Updated: Nov 19, 2024 / 06:01 AM CST
Sean Combs is seen on October 30, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images)
(NewsNation) — Prosecutors said in a court document last week that Sean “Diddy” Combs tried to contact potential witnesses for his upcoming sex trafficking trial from jail.
“The defendant has continued to engage in a relentless course of obstructive conduct designed to subvert the integrity of these proceedings,” prosecutors said in a court filing asking the judge to reject Combs’ $50 million bail request. “The defendant has shown repeatedly — even while in custody — that he will flagrantly and repeatedly flout rules in order to improperly impact the outcome of his case.”
Jail calls showed that Combs asked family members to reach out to potential victims and witnesses, prosecutors said in the filing. They also accused Combs of orchestrating social media campaigns “aimed at tainting the jury pool” and trying to publicly leak materials that could help his case. Part of this campaign included having his children post a video to their social media accounts showing them gathered to celebrate Combs’ birthday, the court filing said.
During a nationwide sweep of Bureau of Prison facilities, investigators found notes from Combs’ cell phone that included communications with a woman identified in the court filing as Witness 2.
“It is clear that when the defendant reinitiated contact with Witness 2 in September 2024, his purpose was to ensure that Witness 2 was on his side,” prosecutors wrote.
The strong inference to be drawn from Combs’ communication with Witness 2 is that he paid her after she posted a statement denying allegations of violence by him.
NewsNation reached out to Witness 2 for comment.
In their own filing, Combs’ lawyers alleged that they seized notes and other “privileged attorney-client” material from the his jail cell.
“The targeted seizure of a pre-trial detainee’s work product and privileged materials – created in preparation for trial – is outrageous government conduct amounting to a substantive due process violation,” they added.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that he “led a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, among other crimes. “
NewsNation’s Safia Samee Ali and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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