Attorneys for disgraced music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs agreed not to use politics or the ongoing conflict with Iran as part of his defense strategy, the UK Daily Mail reported. Combs is facing a slew of charges for sex trafficking as his trial is expected to wrap up this week.
Sources claimed that Combs's team was considering whether to "invoke the recent conflict" in closing arguments. The attorneys contend that the Homeland Security Investigators who raided his Los Angeles home in March "instigated" the case with sensational details.
The 55-year-old's legal team apparently believes HSI should have been focused on Iran instead of his long-rumored deviant behavior. This comes after the U.S. destroyed Iran's nuclear weapons program with a missile strike Saturday that resulted in a temporary escalation.
On Monday, which marked the 28th day of the Diddy trial, Iran retaliated against the U.S. by lobbing missiles at American military bases in Qatar. Judge Arun Subramanian, who is presiding over the case, made it clear that using any of this in court would not be tolerated.
Combs is in the midst of a trial for charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, racketeering, and others. News of the novel strategy of including politics in the courtroom comes as Combs officially announced on Tuesday that he will not testify.
Marc Agnifilo, Combs's defense attorney, verified that he "discussed at length" the implications either way and that Combs made his decision accordingly. Combs confirmed it was his decision guided by his attorneys' legal advice, and the judge accepted it.
As for the prospect of using the Iran conflict in a last-ditch effort to defend himself, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey threatened to "object during defense summation" if it were invoked. "I really don't want to do that," Comey said, according to Fox News.
"So I just wanted to put on the record that we think it would be objectionable and crossing a line for any summation to bring us politics or current events or the propriety of this prosecution and the use of government resources," Comey added. The prosecutor warned the defense not "to cross over those lines" and promised to speak up if they did.
"I would object in the middle of his summation and ask the Court to instruct the jury to disregard any comments like that. So I just wanted to state that in advance of summations and the hope that it's not necessary," Comey clarified.
The judge noted "an agreement by the defense not to engage in any of that type of argument" that brought in the conflict in Iran. Subramanian had asked Combs's defense attorney whether there was "anything to worry about here" with this tactic.
"Nothing to worry about, Judge," Diddy's defense lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, responded. That response has shut down the possibility of the Iran conflict being part of the defense, but it only adds to the impression that the high-stakes case is about to implode on Combs.
Attorneys for Combs have an uphill climb if they hope to get him acquitted. While some charges may not stick, there are just too many piling up that seem to be well established by the prosecution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Slavik charged that Combs believed "fame, wealth, and power put him above the law" when committing his alleged misdeeds and forcing others to do the same. "He wouldn’t take no for an answer," Slavik said, which is at the heart of this trial.
Defense attorneys for Combs have a tough road ahead if they wish to convince the jury of his innocence. It seems they're grasping at straws, and all of the fame, fortune, and excuses in the world won't be enough to get Combs out of trouble.
