Prosecutors have rejected Sean “Diddy” Combs’s argument that he should be granted the same free speech protections as President-elect Donald Trump in his bid for bail.
Combs, who faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation for prostitution, had been accused of attempting to influence jurors from jail through an online and phone campaign involving friends and family.
In response, his lawyers argued that he should enjoy the same rights Trump had in the election interference case following the January 6 Capitol riot, where Trump made public and online statements against law enforcement officials.
Combs’s legal team cited a December ruling in the case of United States v. Trump, where the court allowed Trump to criticize officials unless it posed a “significant and imminent threat to the administration of criminal justice.” They argued that the same standard should apply to Combs’s case.
However, prosecutors dismissed the comparison, stating that Trump’s situation as a presidential candidate was unique and did not apply to Combs, whose communications they argue do not fall under First Amendment protections. This filing came in response to Judge Arun Subramanian’s request for clarification on whether Combs’s actions constituted obstruction of justice.
Combs has been denied bail twice already, and Judge Subramanian is expected to make a decision on his latest bail request this week, with Combs’s trial scheduled for May 5.
