Federal prosecutors temporarily cannot use a notebook seized from Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ jail cell, which allegedly includes incriminating notes related to his ongoing legal battles.
On Tuesday, US District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office must delete photos of the 19-page notebook obtained during a raid on Combs’ jail cell last month. Prosecutors are also barred from using the material during Combs’ upcoming bond hearing on Friday.
The music mogul, facing charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution, has pleaded not guilty. He also faces numerous civil suits filed in recent months.
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The notebook, labelled “things to do,” reportedly includes notes about paying off potential witnesses and digging up damaging information on two alleged victims. Prosecutors have suggested this evidence could support additional charges of obstruction of justice against the artist.
Combs’ legal team called Feds conduct ‘outrageous’
Prosecutor Mary Slavik defended the seizure, stating, “The government received these materials in the completely appropriate channels.” She argued that Combs’ notes, which included unidentified “inspirational quotes” alongside plans to target witnesses, fell outside attorney-client privilege protections.
Combs’ legal team, however, strongly contested the government’s actions as “outrageous”. Marc Agnifilo, one of Combs’ attorneys, accused federal authorities of overreach. “This has been a complete institutional failure,” Agnifilo said, arguing that the raid and seizure violated attorney-client privilege.
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Judge Subramanian has ordered the notebook to remain secured for now while he deliberates whether prosecutors may use it to build an obstruction case.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September and has since been held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. His legal team has repeatedly sought his release on bail, proposing $50 million as a condition. His next bail hearing is set for Friday.
