Attorneys for Diddy are calling for the dismissal of one charge against the embattled music mogul, arguing he is the target of an unfair and racially motivated case.
“This case is unprecedented in many ways, but perhaps most notably, and most disturbingly, no White person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution,” Diddy’s defense stated in a motion filed Tuesday evening. “Mr. Combs has been singled out because he is a powerful Black man, and he is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished.”
Diddy’s attorneys seek to drop Count Three of the indictment, which is transportation to engage in prostitution. They argue that such charges have historically been used to target Black men.
“What was racist in its inception has often been racist in its operation,” they wrote, pointing to the Mann Act’s history as a tool to prosecute men of color.
Prosecutors strongly rejected the racism claims, previously raising concerns in court after Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, told TMZ the case was a “takedown of a successful Black man.” One prosecutor countered in an October hearing, saying the racism accusation posed a “serious risk” to a fair trial.
Facing charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution, the 55-year-old has pleaded not guilty. He remains in federal custody in New York City.
