President Trump confirmed on Monday that music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has requested a pardon on prostitution charges.
The president confirmed Diddy’s pardon requests when speaking with reporters in the Oval Office about a pardon for Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
“I have a lot of people who have asked me for pardons. I call him Puff Daddy, [he] has asked me for a pardon,” the president said.
The disgraced music mogul was sentenced last week on federal charges of transportation for prostitution. He was previously acquitted on more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and coercing women into unwanted sex.
“He was essentially I guess sort of half-innocent,” he the president said. “I was very friendly with him. I get along with him great, and seemed like a nice guy, I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile. And it’s hard. Like you, we’re human beings and we don’t like to have things cloud our judgment. But when you knew someone and you were fine, and then you run for office and he made some terrible statements.”
“I don’t know. I’m being honest, it makes it more difficult to do,” he added.
“But more likely a no for Combs?” the reporter asked.
“I’d say so,” responded Trump.
Marc Agnifilo, the lead defense attorney for Combs, said the his office has no involvement with asking the president for a pardon.
“I am not involved in that in the least,” said Agnifilo. “I have literally no idea. There are times I think there’s nothing to it, and there are times I think it’s just rumor mill stuff. But, I do not purport to know the president’s mind. I really don’t know.”
