Nicole Westmoreland, a member of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ all-star defense team, told CNN in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that the music mogul’s team has reached out to the Trump administration about a potential pardon following his conviction on two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution last month.
“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” Westmoreland said.
Last month, a jury convicted Combs on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution and acquitted the hip-hop mogul of the most serious charges – racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Combs was facing up to life in prison. Instead, he now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years – though, he is likely to serve a shorter sentence, according to legal analysts.
Prosecutors have not formally said what sentence they’re going to pursue – presentencing filings aren’t due until September – but had previously indicated he could face a minimum range of 51 to 63 months in prison. In a filing last week, they indicated their assessed range could end up be “substantially higher.”
Asked of Combs’ feelings about his chances of a pardon, Westmoreland said Combs “is a very hopeful person and I believe that he remains hopeful.”
Prosecutors accused Combs of leading a criminal enterprise made up of some of his closest employees, alleging they used threats, violence, forced labor, bribery and other crimes to force Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another woman, “Jane,” to engage in drug-fueled sex acts with male escorts called “Freak Offs” or “hotel nights.”
During the two-month trial, Combs’ defense attorneys focused much of their efforts on questioning – and attempting to discredit – witnesses brought forth by the prosecution.
The prosecution presented its case over six weeks and called 34 witnesses during the federal criminal trial. Combs’ defense presented a roughly 30-minute case and called zero witnesses. Combs did not testify.
Of their approach, Westmoreland said their strategy was to “tell the truth.”
“We didn’t need a creative story. We didn’t need to overreach. We knew that telling the truth would mean not guilty. We knew that he had not sex trafficked anyone and we knew that RICO was absurd. So we figured, hey we’ll tell the truth and that will pay off. And I believe for the most part that strategy worked.”
More to come…
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