Donald Trump has turned down Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request for a presidential pardon, making it clear that the hip-hop mogul will not receive clemency.
Combs, 56, is serving a four-year prison sentence following his conviction last July on two counts of transporting people across state lines for prostitution. He was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Trump confirmed that Combs sent him a letter seeking a pardon but said he was not inclined to grant it.
In an interview with The New York Times published Thursday, Trump also stated that he has no plans to pardon other high-profile figures, including deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, disgraced crypto tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried, and former Democratic senator Robert Menendez. Regarding Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, Trump said he had not been asked about a pardon.
Trump has previously issued clemency to politically connected figures and loyalists, including over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack and Honduran ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking.
The former president’s remarks highlight his selective approach to pardons, favoring allies and politically connected individuals while denying requests from celebrities and other controversial figures.
