Sean “Diddy” Combs has had his bail request denied for the third time by a New York City judge.
Two previous judges rejected his release, mainly due to concerns about the risk of witness tampering, believing that releasing him before his trial, set for May 2025, would pose a serious threat. Mr. Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, facing charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has also denied over two dozen sexual assault allegations filed in multiple civil lawsuits.
The judge referenced evidence in the case that suggested Mr. Combs had attempted to tamper with witnesses, violated prison rules while incarcerated, and was accused of running a “criminal enterprise” that involved forced labor and kidnapping. US District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that the court could not trust Mr. Combs to remain compliant if released on bail. “The Court finds that the government has shown by clear and convincing evidence that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community,” the judge wrote in Wednesday’s ruling. The prosecutors had opposed granting Mr. Combs bail due to his misconduct while in custody.
In a recent court filing, prosecutors accused the rap mogul of using jail communications to influence witnesses in his case and pressuring people around him to post online in an attempt to sway public opinion and aid his defense. However, Mr. Combs’ defense attorneys argued that he should be granted bail to allow sufficient time to prepare for his trial next year.
Earlier this month, Judge Subramanian ordered prosecutors to destroy nearly 20 pages of documents seized during a recent search of the former hip-hop star’s jail cell. Some of the documents included handwritten notes to his lawyers and details about his legal strategy, according to court filings.
On the other hand, Mr. Combs’ legal team argued that the search was illegal and that the materials found were protected by attorney-client privilege, which ensures confidentiality between lawyers and their clients. However, prosecutors countered that the information was not protected due to Mr. Combs’ alleged actions, which could be considered obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Prosecutors claimed that Mr. Combs had encouraged his children to post a video on social media of their birthday celebration to influence potential jurors. Additionally, they alleged that Mr. Combs had sent hundreds of text messages through an app called ContactMeASAP, which is marketed as a service allowing federal inmates to send real-time messages to their loved ones. According to authorities, Mr. Combs has operated two accounts on the messaging platform, communicating with numerous individuals, including his attorneys and others not on his approved contacts list at the jail.
Lisa Bloom, the attorney representing Dawn Richard, who filed a civil lawsuit against Mr. Combs in September, also claims he was reaching out to witnesses from prison. In an interview with BBC’s *Newsnight*, Bloom stated that one person had called her client a liar, and phone tracking revealed that this individual had over 100 points of contact with Mr. Combs from jail. “The strong implication there is that he talked her into making those statements, perhaps gave her money. We don’t know. But that would be witness tampering,” she told Newsnight.
