Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs may be in line for a presidential pardon. Sources close to the Trump administration say the president is weighing the move as Combs awaits sentencing in October on federal charges related to prostitution.
A source told Deadline on Tuesday, July 29, that President Donald Trump is “seriously considering” a pardon. This follows earlier comments by Trump when he was asked about the case in the Oval Office.
“First of all, I’d look at what’s happening,” Trump said during a press gaggle on May 30. “And I haven’t been watching it too closely, although it’s certainly getting a lot of coverage.”
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He spoke while the trial was underway. But discussions about a pardon reportedly have intensified — with Combs’ team lobbying the White House directly.
Combs guilty on lesser counts, initially denied bail
On July 2, a jury in New York acquitted Combs on the most serious charges he faced involving sex trafficking and racketeering. However, he was found guilty on two lesser federal charges.
His attorneys submitted a new petition Tuesday asking that Combs be released before sentencing, according to The New York Times. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian denied setting bond immediately following his verdict, saying no evidence had been presented to show Combs was not a danger to any person or the community.
Defense leans on lifestyle, consensual framing
In the new petition, obtained by Fox News Digital, Combs’ lawyers argue that his relationships with accusers — including ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and a woman identified in court only as “Jane Doe” — were long-term and consensual.
“Like many aspects of sex and intimacy, it was not without its complications, its bouts of jealousy, and, at times, its frustrations,” Combs’ lawyers wrote. “But that is a hallmark of any serious romantic relationship, and that is what these were — serious, long-term romantic relationships.”
“There has literally never been a case like this one,” the petition also said, “where a person and his girlfriend arranged for adult men to have consensual sexual relations with the adult long-term girlfriend as part of a demonstrated ‘swingers’ lifestyle and has been prosecuted and incarcerated under the Mann Act.”
The Mann Act’s controversial history
Combs’ legal team previously attempted to dismiss the sex trafficking charges by attacking the validity of the Mann Act. Also known as the White Slave Traffic Act, it dates back to 1910 and criminalized the interstate transportation of women for prostitution or sex trafficking.
However, the law has historically been used in racially charged cases — particularly against Black men in relationships with white women.
The most infamous example came in 1913, when boxing champion Jack Johnson was convicted for traveling across state lines with his white girlfriend. Many consider the case racially motivated. In 2018, Trump awarded Johnson a posthumous pardon.
While Combs’ lawyers claim the Mann Act is disproportionately used against Black men, that claim is disputed.
In 2021, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is white, was convicted under the Mann Act for trafficking minors on behalf of her former boyfriend, Jeffrey Epstein.
$50 million bail proposal still pending
As part of his effort to gain release from jail, Combs has proposed a $50 million bond package backed by his Miami estate and three financially responsible cosigners.
His team sought his release on a $1 million bond after the verdict.
If approved, he would reside at his Miami property, restrict travel to areas in Florida and New York, surrender his passport and remain under U.S. Pretrial Services Agency supervision.
So far, the judge has not ruled on this proposal. For now, Combs remains in jail ahead of his Oct. 3 sentencing.
