Diddy’s lead attorney states that he “has not had any communication with the President” regarding a potential pardon, contradicting recent speculation stirred by another member of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team. Just days after attorney Nicole Westmoreland suggested that Combs’ representatives had reached out to President Donald Trump about a possible pardon, lead counsel Marc Agnifilo dismissed those claims in an interview with CBS News.
“I have nothing to do with a possible pardon,” Agnifilo said firmly. “I have had conversations with nobody. I have not spoken to the president. I have not spoken to anybody who speaks to the president about Sean Combs. I have not.”
The clarification directly contradicts Westmoreland’s earlier statement to CNN, where she claimed, “It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” without identifying which administration officials were allegedly involved.
In his first public remarks since Combs was convicted last month on felony charges related to prostitution, Agnifilo emphasized that the topic of a pardon hasn’t even come up in discussions with his client—apart from Combs reacting to the growing media speculation. “He says, ‘Go tell him (Mr. Trump) that I need a pardon. Go tell him I deserve a pardon,’” Agnifilo recalled.
Combs was convicted of two felony counts of transportation to engage in prostitution following a highly publicized trial. Though he was acquitted of more severe charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering—which carried decades-long prison sentences—the testimony revealed graphic details of drug-fueled parties where witnesses claimed Combs watched as others engaged in sex acts.
As of now, the White House has not responded to Billboard’s request for comment regarding any formal pardon consideration. A senior Trump administration official told CBS News that any talk of a pardon is “speculation,” adding that only Trump himself would make such a decision.
Though Trump has been generous with clemency in his second term—pardoning over 1,500 individuals including those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot—his comments about Combs suggest uncertainty. Speaking to Newsmax last week, Trump said, “Well, he was essentially half-innocent… I was very friendly with him, I got along with him great and he seemed like a nice guy. I didn’t know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile.”
Trump’s tolerance for criticism—or lack thereof—might pose a hurdle. “He said not so nice things,” Trump added. “That makes it more difficult.”
Once publicly friendly, Combs distanced himself from Trump following his 2016 presidential win. In a 2017 interview with the Daily Beast, Diddy declared he didn’t “really give a f–k about Trump.” Later, in 2020, he told Charlamagne Tha God that “white men like Trump need to be banished,” asserting that removing Trump from power was a top priority.
Now, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for October 3, Agnifilo says his focus is on securing a “good sentence” for the embattled music mogul. Combs could face up to 20 years in prison, though Agnifilo suggested sentencing guidelines may lead to a term of four to five years, factoring in credit for time already served since his arrest in September 2024.
Despite the serious nature of the charges and the court’s repeated denial of bail—most recently due to the violent nature of Combs’ personal relationships—Agnifilo said the rapper remains optimistic. “He said to me he’s going to be back at Madison Square Garden,” the attorney revealed, referencing one of New York’s most iconic stages and a symbol of Combs’ once towering influence in the music industry.
As of now, Diddy’s lead attorney states that he “has not had any communication with the President” regarding a potential pardon, emphasizing that the legal strategy is squarely focused on sentencing, not speculation.
