Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team is pushing back against one of the three federal charges he faces, arguing that he is being unfairly targeted because of his race.
In a motion filed on Tuesday, his attorneys claimed that no white person has ever faced similar prosecution under the Mann Act, a law historically linked to racial discrimination.
The memorandum, reviewed by Variety, asserts that Combs has been singled out due to his influence as a powerful Black man.
His legal team argues that there has never been a comparable RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) prosecution,
And that he is being held accountable for actions that often go unpunished for others.
At the center of the legal battle is Count Three of the indictment, which accuses Combs of transporting individuals for prostitution between 2009 and 2024.
His defense maintains that the case revolves around consensual interactions involving his girlfriends and male escorts hired through a legal service.
“Many high-profile couples engage third parties in their relationships, sometimes in exchange for money,” the filing states,
Diddy claims cases are racially motivated
pointing out that figures like former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer engaged in similar conduct but were never charged under the Mann Act. “Such behavior has never before triggered Mann Act liability.”
Combs’ legal team also highlights the troubling history of the Mann Act, originally known as the White-Slave Traffic Act, which has long been criticized for its racially biased enforcement.
“This prosecution is yet another example of how the Mann Act has been weaponized against prominent Black men,” the memorandum concludes.
Currently being held in Brooklyn, Combs is awaiting trial set for May 2025.
He faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation for prostitution.
His legal team is aggressively challenging what they see as a selective and unjust prosecution, setting the stage for a high-stakes courtroom battle.
