A federal judge in New York ruled Friday that Sean “Diddy” Combs was not targeted due to his race, denying the music mogul’s motion to dismiss charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
The NY judge ruling comes as Combs alleged he was targeted because of his race, asserting that the charges were selectively applied due to his status as a prominent Black figure. However, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian firmly rejected the claim, stating that Combs failed to provide any credible evidence of racial bias or discriminatory intent by federal prosecutors.
Judge Subramanian emphasized that the decision to prosecute was based on “the severity of what Combs allegedly did — not his race.”
“Combs doesn’t point to any evidence that racial bias played a role in the government’s actions,” the judge wrote. “The current application of the law appears race-neutral in this district, reaching across race and gender.”
Combs had challenged the government’s use of Section 2421 of Title 18, commonly known as the Mann Act, suggesting its historical use to criminalize Black men reflected a racially biased approach. The judge, however, noted that any troubling history of the statute was not enough to justify a claim of selective prosecution without direct evidence of discriminatory action in this case.
The charges against Combs include allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering, and forced labor over a span of two decades. Prosecutors detailed disturbing accusations, including physical and psychological abuse, as well as instances where Combs allegedly endangered victims’ lives.
This Diddy targeted race NY judge ruling signals the court’s stance on the importance of evidence-based claims when alleging racial targeting in legal proceedings.
Attorneys for Combs have not yet issued a public response.
The case is U.S. v. Combs, case number 1:24-cr-00542, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
