CNN
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Sean “Diddy” Combs has continued to aim to hinder the federal authorities’s investigation into his sex trafficking case and is attempting to taint the jury pool even whereas he’s in federal jail, prosecutors allege in a brand new court docket submitting.
A evaluation of recorded calls from the Metropolitan Detention Heart revealed Combs used the phone accounts of at the least eight inmates to allegedly evade monitoring, prosecutors mentioned. Additionally they alleged he paid the inmates by way of intermediaries in violation of the principles.
Combs had additionally used three-way calls to succeed in sure people not on an authorised contact listing and had used a non-authorized third-party system to ship “a whole lot of textual content messages” to dozens of people, together with these not on the listing, prosecutors mentioned.
The brand new allegations had been revealed in a court docket submitting late Friday as federal prosecutors argue Combs shouldn’t be entitled to a different bail listening to. Combs’ protection staff declined remark. He’s due again in court docket on Friday.
Combs is housed on the Metropolitan Detention Heart in Brooklyn the place he’s awaiting trial on intercourse trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and prostitution-related prices. He has pleaded not responsible. Previously 12 months, Combs has additionally been accused in multiple civil lawsuits of sexual assault or different misconduct, which he has denied.
The music mogul has sought to contact potential witnesses, together with accusers, prosecutors mentioned, with the objective of blackmailing them to maintain quiet or present testimony to assist his protection.
“For the reason that defendant has been detained at MDC, he has continued to attempt to evade legislation enforcement monitoring, corruptly affect witness testimony, and additional assault the integrity of those proceedings,” the prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors say that “whereas making an attempt to evade legislation enforcement monitoring, the defendant has, amongst different issues, orchestrated social media campaigns which are, in his personal phrases, geared toward tainting the jury pool; made efforts to publicly leak supplies he views as useful to his case; and contacted witnesses by way of third events.”
After Combs’ arrest in September, prosecutors have mentioned a number of instances that the federal government’s investigation into Combs is ongoing and energetic. A federal grand jury has been regularly convening within the persevering with legal investigation, CNN reported October 31, citing three sources.
The most recent authorized submitting within the case comes one week after Choose Arun Subramanian rejected Combs’ attempt to silence all potential witnesses, saying Combs’ considerations don’t outweigh an accuser’s proper to free speech.
Subramanian’s November 8 gag order got here as Combs’ authorized staff filed its newest request looking for launch from jail primarily based on new info, they argue, that undercuts the prosecution’s allegations that Combs compelled ladies and others to interact in drug-fueled, dayslong intercourse acts.
Combs was twice denied bail, first by the Justice of the Peace choose who he appeared earlier than, and once more by the trial choose assigned to the case. That choose recused himself and the case was transferred to Subramanian.
In its court docket submitting with quite a few redactions, Combs’ attorneys declare that info they’ve obtained from prosecutors “negates” the federal government’s declare that there’s a second sufferer – along with “Sufferer 1” as recognized within the indictment – and weakens prosecutors’ allegation of witness tampering.
“The brand new materials demonstrates that the federal government beforehand misrepresented the burden of the proof. And it undermines the federal government’s declare that Mr. Combs presents a hazard,” Combs’ legal professionals wrote.
In its Friday submitting opposing the renewed movement for bail, prosecutors say Combs “rehashes the identical arguments” rejected by the 2 earlier judges and “the defendant provides nothing new and materials justifying a 3rd bail listening to.”
Particular examples of how Combs has sought to relay messages to the general public to advance his pledge of innocence are blacked out within the submitting.
Prosecutors say after the choose ordered each side to restrict their public statements, Combs directed his relations to publish on social media to affect the general public’s notion, together with a video of his kids celebrating Combs’ birthday.
“The defendant (from inside the MDC) then monitored the analytics — i.e. viewers engagement — and explicitly mentioned together with his household how to make sure that the video had his desired impact on potential jury members on this case,” prosecutors mentioned.
Combs’ lack of ability to observe the principles in federal custody suggests he wouldn’t abide by any bail circumstances set by the choose, prosecutors mentioned.
Combs’ staff has proposed a bail package that’s just like packages beforehand rejected by the judges. Along with the $50 million bond, cosigned by Combs, his mom, the grownup sons and others, they suggest house detention with GPS monitoring and 24/7 monitoring by personal safety.
Guests could be restricted to Combs’ legal professionals and relations below the most recent proposal. In his prior bail proposal, Combs didn’t search to exclude staff, buddies or others from visiting.