Sean Diddy seeks dismissal of charge, citing racial bias in law
- Sean Diddy is seeking to have one of the charges against him dismissed.
- He argued that the law used in the indictment unfairly targets black men.
- The Mann Act has a very long history.
Sean “Diddy” Combs is seeking to have one of the charges against him dismissed, with his attorneys arguing that the law used in the indictment unfairly targets black men.
In a September indictment, Combs was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. His legal team is working to have the third charge—based on the Mann Act of 1910—dropped.
The Mann Act, originally called the White-Slave Traffic Act, has a controversial history. Combs’ lawyers argue that it has “racist origins”, citing past cases involving boxer Jack Johnson and musician Chuck Berry. “Mr. Combs has been singled out because he is a powerful Black man, and he is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished,” his attorneys wrote in their motion, obtained by PEOPLE.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being denied bail by three different federal judges. His indictment revolves around alleged “freak offs”, which authorities claim were orchestrated events where women were coerced into sex acts.
Combs has also been named in multiple lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, all of which he has denied. His criminal trial is set for May.
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