Diddy’s Attorney Says They’ve ‘Reached Out’ to Trump for Pardon Ahead of Sentencing

One of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ attorneys said that their team has approached President Donald Trump’s administration for a pardon, with less than two months to go before his sentencing.

“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” Nicole Westmoreland, a member of Combs’ defense team, told CNN in an interview that aired on Tuesday, Aug. 5.

When asked how Combs feels about his chances for a pardon, Westmoreland told CNN the music mogul “is a very hopeful person and I believe that he remains hopeful.”

A White House official told CNN they “will not comment on the existence or nonexistence of any clemency request.”

PEOPLE reached out to Westmoreland for further comment.

After a nearly two-month federal trial in New York, Combs was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution on July 2. He was acquitted on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. 

The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024. His legal team has made five unsuccessful attempts to get him released from custody on bail, with Judge Arun Subramanian denying their latest motion on Monday, Aug. 4. 

Combs’ sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Trump was asked about pardoning Combs in May, even before Combs’ trial ended. At the time, Trump told reporters he “would certainly look at the facts,” adding, “If I think someone was mistreated it wouldn’t matter whether they like me or don’t.”

During an interview with Newsmax on Aug. 1, Trump was asked again about the possibility of pardoning Combs.

“Well, he was essentially, I guess, sort of half-innocent,” the president said.  “I don’t know what they do, still in jail or something. But he was celebrating a victory, but I guess it wasn’t as good of a victory.”

Trump crossed paths with Combs during the 1990s and 2000s. He told Newsmax’s Rob Finnerty that he was “very friendly” with Combs at one point and “got along with him great.” 

However, Trump added that he “didn’t know him well” and that Combs was “very hostile” when he ran for office. 

“We’re human beings. 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,” Trump said. “So, I don’t know. It’s more difficult. Makes it more, I’m being honest, makes it more difficult to do.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.