Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs attempted to contact potential witnesses and influence public opinion from prison in an attempt to affect potential jurors for his upcoming sex trafficking trialas prosecutors in the case warned in a court document that urges a judge to reject his latest bail request.
The government’s allegations were made in a Manhattan federal court document filed late Friday that opposes the music mogul’s latest $50 million bail proposal. A bond hearing is scheduled for next week.
Prosecutors wrote that a review of recorded jailhouse phone calls made by Combs shows that has asked members of his family to Contact possible victims and witnesses and has urged them to create “narratives” to influence the jury pool. They say it has also encouraged marketing strategies to influence public opinion.
“The defendant has repeatedly demonstrated—including while in custody—that will flagrantly break the rules and repeatedly to improperly impact the outcome of your case. In other words, the defendant has demonstrated that he cannot be trusted to comply with rules or conditions,” prosecutors wrote in their filing.
Likewise, they wrote that it could be inferred from their behavior that Combs wants to blackmail victims and witnesses to remain silent or to provide testimony that favors their defense.
Lawyers for the artist did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Prosecutors said Combs, 55, began breaking the rules almost as soon as he was detained at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center after his arrest in September.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges of coercing and abusing women for years with the help of a network of associates and employees, while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.
Two judges have concluded that he represents a danger to the community and a flight risk.
His lawyers recently made a third bail request following the rejection of two previous attempts, including a $50 million bail proposal.
In the request, they cited changed circumstances, including new evidence, that they said made it sensible to release Combs so he can better prepare for his May 5 trial.
But prosecutors indicated that defense attorneys created their latest bail proposal using some evidence prosecutors gave them and the new material was already known to defense attorneys when they made previous bail requests.
In his presentation to a judge, Prosecutors said Combs’ behavior in jail shows he should remain incarcerated.
For example, they said, Combs has recruited members of his family to plan and carry out a social media campaign around his birthday “with the intention of influencing the potential jury in this criminal process.”
He encouraged his children to post a video on their social media accounts showing them gathered to celebrate his birthday, they detailed.
He then monitored analytics, including audience engagement, from jail and “explicitly discussed with his family how to ensure the video had its desired effect on potential jurors in this case,” they noted.
The government also alleged that Combs during other calls made clear his intention to publish anonymously. information that he thought would help his defense against the charges.
“The defendant’s efforts to obstruct the integrity of this proceeding also include relentless efforts to contact potential witnesses, including victims of his abuse who could provide powerful testimony against him,” prosecutors wrote.
(With information from AP)
