
Diddy asks Trump for a pardon
Nicole Westmoreland, one of the lawyers who represented the music mogul during his criminal trial, said her team had held discussions with the White House about a potential pardon.
'It's my understanding that we've reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,' Ms Westmoreland told CNN.
Combs is currently in federal prison awaiting sentencing after he was convicted for two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution last month. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
He was acquitted on the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
On Monday, a federal judge denied the 55-year-old's request to be released on bail pending his October sentencing hearing.
Last week Mr Trump suggested he was unlikely to pardon Combs because he had not been supportive during his presidential campaign.
The US president said 'they have talked to me about Sean', adding: 'I was very friendly with him, I got along with him great and he seemed like a nice guy'.
But, Mr Trump told NewsMax: 'I didn't know him well. But when I ran for office, he was very hostile.'
Mr Trump said: 'It's hard, you know, like, we're human beings, and we don't like to have things cloud our judgment, right?
'But when you knew someone and you were fine, and then you run for office, and he made some terrible statements – so, I don't know, it's more difficult.'
Asked if it was more likely Combs's request would be denied, Mr Trump said: 'I would say so.'
Ms Westmoreland said that despite Mr Trump's comments, Combs 'is a very hopeful person, and I believe that he remains hopeful'.
Prosecutors have not formally said what sentence they plan to pursue for Combs's convictions, but previously suggested they could seek a four or five-year jail sentence, although in a filing last week they suggested the range could be 'substantially higher'.
'Any decision on pardons or commutations will come directly from the president, and the White House will not comment on any speculation regarding such actions,' a senior White House official told The Telegraph in a statement.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Metro
21 minutes ago
- Metro
What could happen if Trump, Putin and Zelensky meet?
The stakes are high for Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a planned summit next week – but they don't all have the same amount to lose, an expert has warned. All three men could be about to meet in the same room for the first time, in an effort to finally bring to an end years of bloodshed in Ukraine. If that long-awaited moment does arrive, one of the leaders will come to the table at a significant disadvantage, according to British Foreign Policy Group think tank director Evie Aspinall. News of the planned meeting emerged out of the blue yesterday, following a meeting between Trump and European leaders. The US President revealed his plans to sit down with Putin next week ahead of a trilateral where they would be joined by Zelensky. A Kremlin spokesperson later confirmed the initial meeting would indeed take place at a so-far-undisclosed location, though a question mark hovers over the latter event. Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here. Aspinall said Trump is 'feeling relatively confident about the situation' after weeks of trumpeting his role in stopping conflicts between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, and several other regions around the world. She told Metro: 'I think in his mind, he's managed to bring Putin to the table, and he's going to use it as an opportunity to really cement himself as this deal maker and as someone that is able to secure peace in the world. 'And so what he wants, really, is a ceasefire. He wants an end to the war in Ukraine. His intent is fairly straightforward. He wants to see the war end, and he wants to be seen as the man that makes that possible.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Ultimately, the summit is 'as much as anything, an image thing' for Trump, she argued, as it would also mean disentangling the US from a global conflict. Putin, meanwhile, is 'making huge progress militarily' in Ukraine and is able to use the meeting to secure two big objectives – demonstrating to Trump he is 'reasonable' enough to negotiate, and buying time on the battlefield. Aspinall said: 'Putin will be building up his resources so that he is in the best position possible for when a ceasefire or full negotiation then happens. 'He wants to use this as an opportunity to show that he's on Trump's side.' The US President may have appeared to sharpen his stance against his Russian counterpart in recent weeks, notably hitting India with punitive tariffs for buying Russia's oil. But Aspinall explained it's likely a shrewd move from Putin to sit down for talks at this point in time. She said: 'I think Putin is playing quite well for the Russians. By coming to negotiating table, he's managed to get Trump to wait, step back from the threats of sanctions for now. 'What he'll be hoping is that he presents himself as reasonable in these meetings, and then Trump doesn't go on with the sanctions that are supposed to hit imminently.' For Zelensky, the summit will be much more of a high-wire act with far more risky results. Aspinall said: 'I think there is possible progress. The problem with the progress is it will be on Putin's terms, rather than Zelensky's terms. 'I think there is a world in which you see Trump and Putin come out saying, 'This is a deal that would work,' and then you have Europe and Ukraine pushing back very heavily on that, and a negotiation over that deal.' The Ukrainian President's best bet might be to challenge Putin's position as the 'reasonable actor' in the negotiations by pressing hard on the Russian leader's red lines – such as agreeing to Ukraine joining Nato. This could 'push Putin into a corner', suggested Aspinall, which might be Zelensky's best chance at leverage. More Trending But she was clear Ukraine has more to lose in a likely deal. Russia could be flexible on territory swaps, and offer them in exchange for Putin's bigger prizes: blocking Ukrainian Nato membership, shrinking the size of its military, and forcing elections that would 'inevitably be biased by Russian disinformation'. Aspinall said: 'the Territory part is the part that they will probably be softer on, as a way for Trump to come out and say, we're not giving Putin everything. We've got the territory back, for example. 'But Putin can sell it as you know, we no longer have an aggressor on our doorstep. We have a supporter and ally of Russia on our doorstep.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Tourists 'blinded and poisoned' after drinking fake alcohol at Putin's favourite resort MORE: South Park's latest savage Donald Trump takedown sparks bizarre reaction from White House MORE: Trump's $15,000 travel deposit makes America 'the land of the fee'


The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Soldiers hailed as heroes for tackling armed assailant at Georgia Army base
A half-dozen soldiers at a Georgia Army base are being hailed as heroes for tackling an armed assailant accused of shooting five people and then giving aid to their wounded colleagues. Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, is accused of using a personal handgun to shoot five soldiers Wednesday at Fort Stewart, one of the nation's largest Army bases, before he was quickly tackled by other troops, officials said. 'The fast action of these soldiers under stress and under trauma and under fire absolutely saved lives from being lost,' Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said at a news briefing Thursday morning. ' One of the soldiers tackled the person, so just think about this — they were unarmed and ran at and tackled an armed person who they knew was actively shooting their buddies, their colleagues, their fellow soldiers,' Driscoll said. 'Another soldier jumped on top of the person to subdue them until federal law enforcement was able to arrive.' Authorities say Radford opened fire on a part of the base where he worked, but officials would not speculate about a motive. The injured were taken to the hospital and three underwent surgery, officials said. The injured soldiers are stable and expected to recover, said Brig Gen. John Lubas. The soldiers who tackled Radford helped ensure his arrest, said Lubas, who commands the 3rd Infantry Division. This latest act of violence on a U.S. military installation — sites that are supposed to be among the most secure in the country — again raised concerns about safety and security within the armed forces' own walls. There were still many unanswered questions about the shooting. Army records released to The Associated Press show Radford enlisted in January 2018. He worked as a supply sergeant and has not been deployed. Radford faced an Aug. 20 hearing in Hinesville, a small town near the base, on accusations of driving under the influence and running a red light just after 1 a.m. on May 18, according to a citation and court filing. He was given a blood test and freed on a $1,818 bond, the documents said. A telephone number listed for Radford in public records rang unanswered. Attorney Sneh Patel is representing Radford in the traffic case but not the shooting as of Wednesday, he said in an email. He cited attorney-client privilege in declining to comment about any his conversations with Radford. Law enforcement was sent to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team complex shortly before 11 a.m. The suspect was arrested at 11:35 a.m., officials said. A lockdown lasted about an hour. After it was lifted, cars began to move through the normal security checkpoint at the fort's main gate. The Army's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team was created in 2016 when the service added more than 200 vehicles to an infantry unit of roughly 4,200 soldiers. Also known as the 'Spartan Brigade,' the Army has called the unit its 'most modern land fighting force.' Located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Savannah, Fort Stewart is the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River by land area. It's home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the Army's 3rd Infantry Division and family members. President Donald Trump called the shooter a 'horrible person' in comments to reporters at the White House. The FBI was at the fort to help investigate, said Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Among the deadliest acts of violence on U.S. military bases was a 2009 attack. A U.S. Army psychiatrist killed 13 people in a shooting that left more than 30 wounded at Fort Hood, a military installation in Texas. In 2013, a defense contract worker and former Navy reservist killed 12 people at Washington Navy Yard. He was then killed in a gun battle with police. In 2014, a soldier opened fire on his fellow service members at Fort Hood, killing three people and wounding more than a dozen others before the gunman killed himself. In 2019, an aviation student opened fire in a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, killing three people and injuring another dozen people including two sheriff's deputies. Just days earlier, a U.S. Navy sailor shot two people to death before killing himself at Pearl Harbor, the Naval station in Hawaii. ___ Martin reported from Atlanta.


The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Alan Dershowitz once again denied pierogi as Martha's Vineyard residents chant ‘time to go'
For the second week in a row, Alan Dershowitz was denied pierogi at a farmer's market in Martha's Vineyard, marking yet another summer of social angst at the exclusive enclave for the former Jeffrey Epstein lawyer. Following days of legal threats and accusations of antisemitism lobbed at the owners of Good Pierogi following last week's incident when the vendor denied him service, Dershowitz showed back up on Wednesday to once again purchase some potato-stuffed dumplings in 'an effort to try to restore community.' With a large crowd of supporters backing them, the vendor refused to back down against the famed defense attorney and continued to rebuff Dershowitz's pleas for pierogi, leaving him empty-handed once again. 'Time to go,' the supporters chanted. 'Go home, Alan!' Last week, Dershowitz put the West Tisbury Farmers Market in the national spotlight when he threatened legal action after Good Pierogi owner Krem Miskevich refused to serve him. Dershowitz would tell police officers on the scene that he was the victim of discrimination, and later posted to social media that he was suing the 'bigoted vendor' for denying him pierogi 'for political reasons.' Saying that much of the backlash against him centered on his defense of Donald Trump and Epstein, the deceased sex offender who has been back in the news lately, Dershowitz has also insisted that this is really about his Jewish heritage and fervent support for Israel. Over the weekend, Dershowitz passed out fliers at the market that accused vendors of being antisemitic, following that up with a tweet this week that claimed that Good Pierogi's food was 'tainted with the poison of antisemitism' while urging others to boycott the establishment. 'As I correctly suspected, the bigot who refused to sell me perogi — Krem Miskevich — is a notorious anti-semite who is part of an anti-semitic organization that protests Jewish — not only Israeli— cultural events and doesn't believe in Israel's right to exist or to respond to what these haters regard as the 'justified' massacres of Oct 7,' he posted on Monday, adding: 'Don't patronize anti-semites who refuse to sell to Jewish Zionists.' Miskevich, who uses they/them pronouns, has yet to speak to the press about the kerfuffle but did post on Good Pierogi's Instagram account a lengthy response to Dershowitz's accusations and what sparked the incident last week. Miskevich, who co-owns Good Pierogi with their spouse Lily Rose, said they 'experienced a surge of emotion' when Dershowitz appeared at their tent last week because he's represented and befriended 'several sexual predators and abusers including Jeffrey Epstein.' Miskevich added that when it gave them pause to sell to Dershowitz, the Harvard Law emeritus 'began to harass us, misgender me, and film us without our consent.' As for Dershowitz's antisemitism claims, Miskevich noted that they are Jewish and have immediate family members in Israel, noting that friends call them 'Rabbi Krem' and that they have personal relationships with other rabbis on the island. 'Finally, we don't back down to bullies – no matter their size,' Miskevich concluded the Tuesday night post. Despite calling on others to shun Good Pierogi over their 'bigotry,' Dershowitz joined the long line of customers on Wednesday after the market opened – most of whom were there to show their support for the vendor amid Dershowitz's legal threats. With anticipation growing for another confrontation with media onlookers and supporters encircling the tent, Dershowitz made his way to the front of the line and claimed he was there to bring harmony back to the island – just as long as Miskevich acknowledged they were in the wrong. 'I'm here in an effort to try to restore community and to ask you to sell me pierogi in the interest of keeping the island together so we don't have to have two pierogi stands: one for anti-Zionists and one for people who will sell to anybody,' he declared. 'So I'd ask you to please just sell me any one of your products to show that you're prepared to sell to anybody and not allow your anti-Zionism to decide which people you'll sell to.' At the same time, he came armed with a paperback version of one of his books that he wanted to give Miskevich – which he also noted he had personally signed. 'I am very surprised that you're here because of the things that you've been saying about us and the business online,' the Good Pierogi chef reacted. 'I really do not appreciate what you've been sharing in the last week.' Dershowitz insisted that everything he said was 'true,' prompting Miskevich to ask him to provide proof that they are antisemitic. Dershowitz pointed to Miskevich's participation in a protest outside the island's Jewish Culture Festival last year. Talia Weingarten, who helped organize that protest, pushed back on Dershowitz's generalization about the demonstration, claiming it was largely about taking a stand against genocide and oppression in Gaza. At the time of the protest, Weingarten told the Martha's Vineyard Times that it was to partially object to the appearance of music artist Matisyahu, who has been outspoken in his support of the Israeli Defense Force. 'We are here to reject the presence of someone who performs and fundraises for the Israeli Occupation Forces and the AIPAC lobbying group, condones violence against the Palestinian people and land in the name of Jewish safety, and denies ongoing genocide, as an extension of our Jewish values,' she said. At one point in the back-and-forth, Miskevich took issue with Dershowitz repeatedly misgendering them, prompting the high-profile lawyer to concede the point. 'You are they, you are them. I'm happy to use whatever pronouns you want,' he said. Supporters of Good Pierogi eventually began clamoring for Dershowtiz to leave while defending Miskevich, leading the celebrity attorney to accuse them of 'bigotry' and sparking an even louder argument. 'My grandparents died in the Holocaust! Don't you call me an antisemite,' one customer shouted while another added: 'My Jewish culture is a history of resistance to genocide. We are not antisemites, we stand against the oppression of all people.' Meanwhile, as Miskevich begged Dershowitz to stop being a 'bully' and calling them 'bigots,' he groused: 'You're the one who won't sell me my pierogi!' At this point, marketgoers began chanting 'time to go' before the market manager stepped in and asked Dershowitz to leave. In the end, Dershowitz shuffled off without any pierogi while the crowd loudly applauded. This time, at least, the police did not get involved. Interviewed by the Martha's Vineyard Times about the interaction, Dershowitz said he 'predicted' that Good Pierogi would receive ample support from the community because 'much of Martha's Vineyard is anti-Israel.' He also waved off Good Pierogi's Instagram post as a 'post facto excuse,' claiming 'some of the worst antisemites in the world have Jewish background and Jewish heritage.' On the other hand, other residents and longtime visitors said it was essential to support their local vendors, especially in situations where they are suddenly thrust into national controversy. 'I think, in particular, the comments that they made on social media [were] really profound and important,' Kirsten Stevenson told the Times. 'I was disappointed with what happened last week and I want to be here and support them.' In the meantime, local attorneys have said that Dershowitz's legal threats against Good Pierogi and the farmer's market are on shaky legal ground. One of Dershowitz's demands is that the market write into its bylaws that vendors have to sell to everybody. '[Experts] highlighted that unlike race or religion, political beliefs are not given that same type of protection for consumers,' the Times reported. 'Zionism isn't a protected status since it's considered a political movement, but Dershowitz called this 'too simple-minded,' saying Zionism is an important part of his Judaism.'