Sean “Diddy” Combs has been breaking prison rules by contacting potential witnesses in his upcoming s*x trafficking trial, prosecutors have alleged.
The music mogul is accused of making “relentless efforts” to “corruptly influence witness testimony,” by using other inmates’ telephone accounts, and using three-way calls to speak to people who are not on his approved contacts list.
Prosecutors said a review of recorded calls also found that Mr Combs instructed his family to contact potential witnesses in his case, they said in a court filing.
Mr Combs, 55, is currently in custody in Manhattan. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
Best known for 1990s hits such as I’ll Be Missing You and Mo’Money, Mo’Problems, the musician has been denied bail since his arrest, with multiple judges citing a risk that he might tamper with witnesses.
His lawyers made a renewed bid for bail last week, proposing a $50m (£39.6m) package that would see Mr Combs be monitored around the clock by security personnel, while under house arrest.
Lawyer Alexandra Shapiro argued it was impossible for the musician to prepare for trial from behind bars because of the “incredibly voluminous” amount of material to review, especially without a laptop computer.
She also said his preparation has been hampered by conditions at the jail, including frequent lockdowns and officers taking away the pens he uses to take notes.
Detention is stripping Mr Combs of “any real opportunity” to be ready for trial, violating his rights under the US Constitution, Shapiro said.
In response, prosecutors argued that the request for bail should be denied, alleging that Mr Combs “poses serious risks of danger and obstruction of these proceedings.”
In court documents, they accused the star of orchestrating social media posts in order to “influence a potential jury pool” at his trial.
Amongst those efforts, they cited an Instagram statement posted by a woman known only as “witness two,” countering allegations made by singer Dawn Richard in a civil lawsuit against Mr Combs.
Prosecutors alleged that her statement was drafted with Mr Combs during “multiple texts” and “multiple calls” from prison.
They further alleged there was a “strong inference” that Mr Combs “paid witness two, after she posted her statement.”
A video posted by the star’s seven children on 5 November was also cited as evidence of a “public relations strategy to influence this case.”
The video, which was reported by multiple media outlets, showed the family wishing Mr Combs a happy birthday during a prison phone call.
“The defendant then monitored the analytics, audience engagement and explicitly discussed with his family how to ensure that the video had his desired effect on potential jury members in this case,” prosecutors said.
Mr Combs was also accused of using the phone accounts of at least eight other inmates to make calls, which is against prison regulations, and of “directing others” to orchestrate payment for this access.
