An attorney for Sean "Diddy" Combs confirmed that the Trump administration has been approached about a pardon for the convicted music mogul, days after President Donald Trump told Newsmax that someone from Combs' camp had inquired about clemency.
"It's my understanding that we've reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon," Nicole Westmoreland told CNN on Tuesday.
Trump told Newsmax on Friday that he had been asked about a pardon for Combs, who was recently acquitted on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking but found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
When asked by Newsmax if a pardon for Combs was more likely a no, Trump said, "I would say so."
"I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great, and he seemed like a nice guy. I didn't know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile," Trump said. "So I don't know, it's more difficult. It makes it more — I'm being honest — it makes it more difficult to do."
The White House told CNN on Tuesday that it "will not comment on the existence or nonexistence of any clemency request."
Combs faces a maximum sentence of 20 years on the lesser charges, though CNN, citing legal analysts, reported he would likely serve a shorter sentence.
A judge on Monday denied a petition from Combs' defense team that he be released on $50 millon bail to await his sentencing at home. He has been held in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center since being arrested in New York last September.
His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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