6 days Ago
Sean "Diddy" Combs has tried to reach out to prospective witnesses and influence public opinion from jail in a bid to affect potential jurors for his upcoming sex-trafficking trial, prosecutors claimed in a court filing urging a judge to reject his latest bail request. The government accusations were made in a Manhattan federal court filing late Friday that opposes the music mogul's latest $50 million bail proposal. A bail hearing is scheduled for next week.
Prosecutors wrote that a review of recorded jail calls made by Combs shows he has asked family members to reach out to potential victims and witnesses and has urged them to create "narratives" to influence the jury pool. They say he's also encouraged marketing strategies to sway public opinion, per the . "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," prosecutors wrote in a submission to a judge that contained redactions.
"The defendant has shown, in other words, that he cannot be trusted to abide by rules or conditions." Prosecutors added that it could be inferred from his behavior that Combs wants to blackmail victims and witnesses into silence or into providing testimony helpful to his defense. Prosecutors said Combs, 55, began breaking rules almost as soon as he was detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after his September arrest.
In their submission, prosecutors said Combs' behavior in jail shows he must remain locked up. For instance, they said, Combs enlisted family to carry out a social media campaign around his birthday "with the intention of influencing the potential jury in this criminal proceeding." He encouraged his kids to post a video to their social media accounts showing them gathered to celebrate his special day, they said.
Afterward, he monitored the analytics, including audience engagement, from jail and "explicitly discussed with his family how to ensure that the video had his desired effect on potential jury members in this case," they said. The government also alleged that during other calls, Combs made clear his intention to anonymously publish info that he thought would help his defense. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years while silencing victims via blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson, and beatings.
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