Donald Trump considered pardoning Sean 'Diddy' Combs during his final days in office, according to sources close to the pardon process. The former president reportedly put the odds of a pardon at '50-50', though no formal request was made.
Combs was acquitted of sex-trafficking and racketeering charges but convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Trump indicated in May that he was open to the idea, saying he would 'look at the facts' if he believed Combs was mistreated.
Trump's pardon 'tsar' Alice Marie Johnson and pardon attorney Ed Martin are said to be key figures in any potential clemency bid. Attorney John Koufos noted that elements of the case align with Trump's push against 'overcriminalisation' and 'weaponisation' in charging.
However, Koufos cautioned that a conviction for 'things that he pretty obviously did probably mitigates against a grant of clemency'. The judge's sentencing decision will be crucial, with a high-end sentence potentially strengthening a clemency application.
Trump has a history of pardoning high-profile figures, including reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, and commuting the sentence of gang leader Larry Hoover. The Diddy case remains a subject of speculation as sentencing approaches.
