President Donald Trump is reportedly contemplating granting a pardon for Sean "Diddy" Combs.
According to a report Deadline published on Tuesday, July 29, the president is "seriously considering" giving Combs a full pardon ahead of the artist's sentencing hearing. Trump previously teased the possibility of granting Combs a pardon two months ago while the mogul was on trial. After associates of Combs approached the White House with the request, the discussion surrounding a potential pardon for the Bad Boy Records founder has gained traction recently. Combs' defense team didn't comment on the situation, and the White House isn't speaking on it either.
"The White House will not comment on the existence or nonexistence of any clemency request,” an official from the Trump Administration told Deadline.
Combs was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution after he flew male escorts in to participate in his freak-offs with his former girlfriends, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and "Jane," for over a decade. The veteran music executive faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, which is 10 years per count. However, it's more than likely that Combs won't get the maximum sentence. Federal prosecutors previously stated the sentencing guidelines should start at four years and three months, while Combs' attorneys said it should start at 21 months.
The mogul's defense team is not involved with the effort to seek a presidential pardon, but they're still actively working on getting him out of jail. Earlier this week, Combs' lawyers filed a new motion for bail. They argued that people who are convicted of violating the Mann Act are usually released from custody ahead of their sentencing.
Combs' bail package consists of a $50 million bond that uses the artist's estate in Florida as collateral and will be co-signed by three "financially responsible people." He must also surrender his passport and limit his travel from his home in Miami to the Southern District of New York. His attorneys are also open to other pre-trial conditions, including home detention, electronic surveillance, and more. Combs is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3.