Defense attorneys claimed in a recent court submission that federal prosecutors “targeted” Sean “Diddy” Combs due to his race, exhibiting “bad faith” and “racial bias” in the prosecution of his case, which aims to dismiss the prostitution charge against the rap mogul.
Combs has entered a not guilty plea regarding charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution and is set to stand trial this spring.
Defense lawyers claimed the government was pursuing a racist prosecution, asserting that “no white individual has ever faced a remotely comparable prosecution.”
According to the indictment, Combs faces charges for transporting prostitutes across state lines for extended sexual activities referred to as “freak offs.”
“However, no one else, especially no white individual, has ever been charged under the White-Slave Traffic Act for employing male escorts from a different State,” defense lawyers Alexandra Shapiro and Marc Agnifilo stated. Mr. Combs has been targeted due to his status as a strong black man, and he is facing prosecution for actions that typically receive no consequences. Count Three ought to be dismissed as this is obviously a case of selective prosecution.
The document stated that former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, associated with a prostitution ring in 2008, “participated in similar activities but was never prosecuted under the Act.”
His lawyers contended that Combs employed the escort service Cowboys 4 Angels, highlighted on the Showtime series “Gigolos,” to introduce third parties into his sexual encounters, which the defense portrayed as typical for individuals of Combs’ status.
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“The document stated that numerous couples, even affluent high-profile ones, engage third parties in their sexual relationships, occasionally for either implicit or explicit payment.” “No federal prosecutor in this district or elsewhere has focused on the company, its CEO, or its escorts.” No prosecutor has ever aimed at any client who bought escort services from Cowboys 4 Angels.
The document censors the name Cowboys 4 Angels, yet mentions the Showtime series and a Nightline episode that highlights the escort service.
A representative from the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York chose not to comment; however, federal prosecutors will address the claim of racist, selective prosecution in an upcoming court document.
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