Diddy's Legal Team Tries to Reach Trump at Mar-a-Lago and Fox News to Secure Pardon as 20-Year Sentence Looms

Sean "Diddy" Combs could serve up to 20 years after being convicted on two counts of transporting people for prostitution. He was cleared of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering earlier this year. He is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

According to Billboard, Diddy's legal team is attempting to appeal directly to former President Donald Trump to secure clemency before his October sentencing. Strategies reportedly include personal visits to Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and booking appearances on Fox News. An expert said it has been suggested that these steps could bring the rapper's case to the president's attention.

Trump has issued several high-profile pardons since returning to office, including clemency for January 6 defendants. Legal experts say his approach has largely bypassed the traditional review process.

Mark Osler, a clemency attorney and law professor at the University of St. Thomas, explained that in past administrations, lawyers filed forms with the Department of Justice's Pardon Attorney, and applications went through multiple review levels. "The mechanism is falling apart. It's fair to say many people are confused about what the process is now," Osler said.

Experts: Direct Appeals Are Likely

With Trump increasingly acting independently on pardons, attorneys often target his inner circle. Osler told Billboard, "Some people are filling out the form, some people are trying to appeal directly to Alice Marie Johnson, some people are trying to talk to Trump at Mar-a-Lago, some people are trying to get on Fox News to pitch their case. It's hard to tell what will work and for who."

He added, "People are spending a lot of money trying to get in front of the right people to be considered."

Legal analysts note two main avenues for Trump to act. A presidential pardon would erase Diddy's convictions, while a commutation would eliminate his prison sentence without clearing his record.

JaneAnne Murray, a clemency lawyer and law professor at the University of Minnesota, said the Mann Act, under which Diddy was convicted, "is rarely used today. It comes out of a puritanical era, and its enforcement was driven by sexist and racist assumptions." She added that since Diddy was acquitted of the higher-level charges, "It's almost inconceivable that any resolution of the case would have involved a custodial sentence."

Despite these arguments, the path remains uncertain. Osler noted, "Historically, sex crimes have kind of been the third rail of clemency. Almost never have you seen grants for them." Trump's team would also need to weigh potential political fallout, given the scrutiny surrounding both Diddy's trial and the former president's previous associations.

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Diddy, Sean Combs