Diddy is pushing back hard against one of the charges in his federal case, calling it "racist" and demanding it be dropped.
In a motion filed on Tuesday (February 18), his legal team focused on the charge of transportation to engage in prostitution, arguing that the law it’s based on—the Mann Act—has historically been used to target Black men while letting others off the hook. The law, which has been in place for over a century, was originally designed to prevent the transportation of women for sex, but Diddy’s attorneys claim that no white person has ever been prosecuted under it.
“Mr. Combs has been singled out because he is a powerful Black man,” the filing states. “He is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished.” It goes on to call the government’s actions biased, claiming that the case is built on “racist tropes” and an attempt to damage Diddy’s reputation.
The motion also reiterates that all sexual encounters involving Diddy were consensual, stating: “The government has concocted a criminal case based primarily on allegations that Mr. Combs and two of his longtime girlfriends sometimes brought a third party—a male escort—into their sexual relationship.”
Diddy’s legal team further accused prosecutors of leaking damaging (and allegedly false) information to the media to sway public opinion against him.
So far, federal prosecutors have not responded to the motion or the racism claims. However, they previously dismissed similar accusations as “baseless” and warned that they could interfere with a fair trial.
Diddy, who has been in jail since his arrest last September, maintains his innocence. His trial is set for May 5, and if convicted, he could face life in prison.