Reports were rife of an impending Sean “Diddy” Combs pardon from Donald Trump. Now, one of Diddy’s lead attorneys, Nicole Westmoreland, has confirmed that they’ve indeed taken the first step by reaching out to the president — but things are more complicated than they seem.
CNN spoke to Westmoreland in a wide-ranging conversation that touched on their legal strategy for the RICO case and the current status of the pardon attempt. According to CNN, earlier reports suggesting Trump was seriously considering a pardon for the embattled Bad Boy founder were premature. A lot more convincing will be needed before the president signs off on anything.
In an interview, Trump acknowledged that his team had, in fact, been informed of Diddy’s request for a pardon. Behind the scenes, Diddy is reportedly offering Trump advisors as much as six figures if they can secure one. But for Trump, the issue seems personal. He told the press that because Diddy was so critical of him during his presidential run, granting a pardon “will be more difficult to do.”
The “All About the Benjamins” rapper was found guilty of the lesser charge of engaging in prostitution but acquitted of the more serious counts of racketeering and sex trafficking. Trump has already shown that, when it comes to political allies, no crime is too large for him to overlook — so now all eyes are on Diddy to prove his loyalty from behind bars.
When asked whether Diddy still believes a pardon is possible despite not supporting Trump’s re-election, Westmoreland said Diddy “never loses hope” and remains optimistic.
The Grammy-winning rapper has repeatedly failed to secure bail, so this media appearance by his lawyer can be seen as a strategic move to help rehabilitate his public image. Westmoreland emphasized that their strategy has always been rooted in telling the truth since the beginning of the case — and that won’t change. They believe that’s the key to helping the hip-hop executive earn back his place in society.
As for Diddy’s other pending cases, his legal team had a provocative response even before they hit the courtroom. Westmoreland asked CNN: If the federal government couldn’t find sufficient evidence to charge Diddy with the worst alleged crimes, what makes the survivors think they’ll succeed? It’s a grim outlook for the survivors — but reportedly, they are also reaching out to Trump, ready to tell the president what they couldn’t share in court for one reason or another. They’ve already sent him a joint letter, urging him not to consider granting Diddy a pardon.
Diddy’s legal team has clearly grown bolder and more confident following what’s being seen as a relative win — given how much worse things could’ve been. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3, and his team is reportedly preparing to appeal as soon as possible.
Trump hasn’t commented further on whether he will issue a pardon, but given his activity on Truth Social, he’ll likely weigh in again — especially if Diddy makes any move to signal support for him.
