Sean “Diddy” Combs is pushing back against federal charges, claiming the government is targeting him because he is a successful Black man.
In new legal documents filed Tuesday, February 18, Diddy’s attorneys argued that the prosecution is relying on the Mann Act, a law he describes as historically racist, to bring him down.
The Mann Act, also known as the White-Slave Traffic Act, has been a federal statute since 1910. Diddy pointed out that it was previously used to prosecute Black public figures like rock and roll legend Chuck Berry and boxer Jack Johnson.
His legal team argues that no white person has ever faced prosecution under the law for hiring male escorts across state lines.
Federal prosecutors accuse Diddy of “transportation to engage in prostitution,” alleging that he hired male s3x workers for his private parties. However, his lawyers argue that the hiring of escorts is common and widely accepted in American culture, with the escort service in question operating legally and openly.
Diddy’s team claims that the case is built primarily on allegations that he and two longtime girlfriends occasionally involved a third party—a male escort—in their relationship.
They argue that his actions are not unusual and suggest that the indictment is racially motivated.
To support his argument, Diddy referenced former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in 2008 after being linked to an escort scandal.
While four people involved in the escort service were charged under the Mann Act, Spitzer himself was not prosecuted.
Despite essentially acknowledging the allegations, Diddy maintains that he is being unfairly targeted due to his race and has asked the judge to dismiss count 3 of the indictment.
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