Nicole Westmoreland , a member of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ high-profile legal team, said on Tuesday that the team has contacted the Trump administration to explore the possibility of a presidential pardon. This follows Combs’ recent conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” Westmoreland said in an interview with CNN.
US President Donald Trump suggested he was unlikely to pardon Combs in an interview with Newsmax last week. “I was very friendly with him, I got along with him great and he seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile,” he said.
Despite Trump’s remarks, Westmoreland said this week that Combs “is a very hopeful person, and I believe that he remains hopeful.”
Westmoreland has added that the case should never have been pursued by the government, arguing that their second misstep was “allowing it to keep it going.”
“The government knew that there was no way Combs committed sex trafficking or RICO and they just continued prosecuting anyway,” she said. “I think the jury saw through it.”
Combs has remained in custody since his arrest in September. While he was acquitted last month of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, he was found guilty on two counts related to prostitution, reports AP.
Judge Arun Subramanian on Monday rejected Combs' $50 million bond request, ruling that the music mogul failed to demonstrate he was neither a flight risk nor a danger.
The judge also noted that Combs had not shown any “exceptional circumstance” that would justify release after a conviction that normally requires detention. Combs will remain in custody and will not be allowed to return home while awaiting sentencing.
The conviction could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years. However, sentencing will be guided by complex federal guidelines, on which there is significant disagreement between prosecutors and Combs’ legal team, reported AP.
The judge wrote that Combs’ argument “might have traction in a case that didn’t involve evidence of violence, coercion or subjugation in connection with the acts of prostitution at issue, but the record here contains evidence of all three.”
During the trial, four women testified against Combs that he had physically assaulted or sexually abused them.
“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” Westmoreland said in an interview with CNN.
US President Donald Trump suggested he was unlikely to pardon Combs in an interview with Newsmax last week. “I was very friendly with him, I got along with him great and he seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile,” he said.
Despite Trump’s remarks, Westmoreland said this week that Combs “is a very hopeful person, and I believe that he remains hopeful.”
Westmoreland has added that the case should never have been pursued by the government, arguing that their second misstep was “allowing it to keep it going.”
“The government knew that there was no way Combs committed sex trafficking or RICO and they just continued prosecuting anyway,” she said. “I think the jury saw through it.”
Combs has remained in custody since his arrest in September. While he was acquitted last month of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, he was found guilty on two counts related to prostitution, reports AP.
Judge Arun Subramanian on Monday rejected Combs' $50 million bond request, ruling that the music mogul failed to demonstrate he was neither a flight risk nor a danger.
The judge also noted that Combs had not shown any “exceptional circumstance” that would justify release after a conviction that normally requires detention. Combs will remain in custody and will not be allowed to return home while awaiting sentencing.
The conviction could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years. However, sentencing will be guided by complex federal guidelines, on which there is significant disagreement between prosecutors and Combs’ legal team, reported AP.
The judge wrote that Combs’ argument “might have traction in a case that didn’t involve evidence of violence, coercion or subjugation in connection with the acts of prostitution at issue, but the record here contains evidence of all three.”
During the trial, four women testified against Combs that he had physically assaulted or sexually abused them.
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