Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ racism claims deemed “outrageous” by prosecutors
Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs accused prosecutors of racism in February, filing a motion to dismiss his transportation to engage in prostitution charge. In response to his claims, prosecutors have outright rejected his allegations.
In documents filed on March 4th, the government called Combs’ claims “outrageous and illogical,” stating that “race played no role whatsoever in the decision to seek the charges contained in the Indictment, which instead stemmed from the defendant’s decades of criminal conduct.”
According to HipHopDX, they added, “Because the defendant offers nothing more than conjecture to suggest otherwise, the Motion should be denied.”
Combs’ legal team claimed there has “never been a similar” prosecution under The Mann Act, which was previously known as the White-Slave Traffic Act. It was passed in 1910 to stop the transportation of women for prostitution and human trafficking.
The motion, filed just last month, read, “This case is unprecedented in many ways, but perhaps most notably, and most disturbingly, no white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution. Mr. Combs has been singled out because he is a powerful black man, and he is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished.”
His attorneys said, “What was racist in its inception has often been racist in its operation,” claiming the act has “a long and troubling history as a statute with racist origins, used to target black men and supposedly protect white women from them.”
The Bad Boy rapper’s famed lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, claimed the government were attempting a “takedown of a successful black man” last year. Prosecutors hit back at his comments, saying he caused a “serious risk” for a fair trial by “baselessly accusing the government of engaging in a racist prosecution.”
Combs is also facing racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, in addition to transportation to engage in prostitution. He will remain incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York City, until his trial begins on May 5th.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.