Sean “Diddy” Combs is trying to obstruct justice from prison, prosecutors say

NEW YORK– NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs has been trying to reach potential witnesses and sway public opinion from jail in an effort to sway potential jurors for his upcoming sex trafficking trial, prosecutors alleged in a lawsuit urging a judge to deny his latest bail request.

The government’s accusations were made late Friday in a federal court in Manhattan, which opposed the music mogul’s latest $50 million bail proposal. A bail hearing is scheduled for next week.

Prosecutors wrote that a review of Combs’ recorded jail calls show that he asked family members to contact potential victims and witnesses and urged them to create “stories” to influence the jury pool. They say he also encouraged marketing strategies to influence public opinion.

“The defendant has repeatedly demonstrated – even while in custody – that he will blatantly and repeatedly disregard rules to improperly influence the outcome of his case. In other words, the defendant has demonstrated that he cannot be relied upon to adhere to any rules or conditions,” prosecutors wrote in a statement that included redactions.

Prosecutors wrote that it can be inferred from his behavior that Combs wants to blackmail victims and witnesses into silence or to provide testimony useful to his defense.

Attorneys for Combs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Prosecutors said Combs, 55, began breaking the rules as soon as he was held in jail Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after his arrest in September.

He has pleaded not guilty to those charges he coerced and abused women for years with the help of a network of associates and collaborators, while victims were silenced through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical abuse.

Two judges have concluded that he is a danger to the community and a risk of flight.

His lawyers recently filed a third bail request after 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 prudent to release Combs so he could better prepare for his May 5 trial.

But prosecutors said lawyers drafted their latest bail proposal using evidence presented to them by prosecutors and that the new material was already known to lawyers when they filed previous bail applications.

In their submission to the judge, prosecutors said Combs’ behavior in prison shows he should remain locked up.

For example, they said, Combs enlisted family members to plan and execute a social media campaign around his birthday “with the intent of influencing the potential jury pool in these criminal proceedings.”

He encouraged his children to post a video on their social media accounts of them celebrating his birthday, they said.

He then monitored the analysis, including audience involvement, from prison and “explicitly discussed with his family how to ensure the video in this case had the desired effect on potential jurors,” they said.

The government also alleged that Combs made clear during other calls that he intended to anonymously publish information that he believed would help his defense against the charges.

“Defendant’s efforts to obstruct the integrity of these proceedings also included relentless attempts to contact potential witnesses, including victims of his abuse who could provide strong testimony against him,” prosecutors wrote.