This case *may* prove to be as culturally significant as the Epstein/Maxwell cases. We'll see.
The opening paragraph pulls no punches. It accuses Combs of setting up and operating a huge, multi-faceted criminal enterprise that provided him victims, money, protected his reputation, concealed his behaviors, etc.
This indictment extends to and impacts Combs' many businesses, all of which are complicit in enabling and/or concealing Combs many alleged crimes.
This includes the labels Bad Boy, Combs Enterprises, Combs Global, his record labels, adult bev company, media assets, etc.
Combs displayed a "persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals."
Combs forced people into sex work, drugging them, threatening their finances, their careers, and using violence if need be in order to "ensure participation."
Incidents of abuse involving Combs date back decades, and it appears prosecutors have some witnesses to these 2009 and 2016 incidents.
Yeah, I think there will be more charges and more indictments soon.
The Combs Enterprise.
Purposes of the Combs Enterprise
-Operating a global business
-Enriching members and associates
-Preserving, protecting, promoting, and enhancing the power, reputation, and brand of Sean Combs AS AN ENTERTAINER
-Preserving, protecting, promoting, and enhancing the power, reputation, and brand of Sean Combs THROUGH VIOLENCE, COERCION, ETC.
-Providing Combs with abuse victims
-Enabling Combs and others to engage in various unlawful acts
-Securing loyalty
-Protecting Combs Enterprise from Law Enforcement
Means and Methods
"Freak Offs"
"In or about March 2024, during searches of COMBS' residences in Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California, law enforcement seized various Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant."
What a monster.
Firearms were seized as well. We might see more charges for those.
More details of Combs and associates using violence, threats, bribes, etc to protect their enterprise and keep the abuse going.
If the allegations are true, what a monster. What an absolute monster.
Obviously this is all very Epstein/Maxwell-like, but in the Hollywood/Music Industry context. This is going to be a HUGE case, maybe trial, and will have a massive cultural impact.
The Racketeering Conspiracy
Whoa, the indictment alleges multiple acts of:
Kidnapping, arson, bribery, witness tampering, forced labor, sex trafficking, transport of a prostitute, illegal sex acts, narcotics offenses, and ofc conspiracy to commit racketeering.
He didn't do all that alone.
All of the above was the intro and Count One-Racketeering.
Next is Count Two-Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion (Victim-1)
Wonder how many victims will eventually be brought forward?
Count Three-Transport to Engage in Prostitution
Forfeiture.
I've seen recent reports that Combs and his empire of businesses and assets are valued somewhere north of $800mil. Fox reported in April of this year that he may be worth over $1bil.
In November 2023, Binance and its found plead guilty to money laundering, sanctions violations and other offenses.
They agreed to pay $4.3 billion and enter into a monitoring program under DoJ and Treasury.
The failures to comply with sanctions, banking regulations, and antimoney laundering practices resulted Binance handling financial transactions between “U.S. users and users in sanctioned jurisdictions such as Iran, Cuba, Syria, and Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine”.
Binance profited from these transactions, collecting $1.3bil in fees from US customers.
"Mr. Comey expects to move to dismiss Count One based on a defense of literal truth."
Cruz was asking about McCabe, not Richman.
Comey plainly did not lie to Congress about his interactions with Mr. Richman.
The question from Cruz wasn't about Comey and Richman, it was about Comey and McCabe!
"No reasonable prosecutor would have brought such a deficient case; the only explanation is that the President’s handpicked interim U.S. Attorney did so to carry out the President’s wishes."
Nachmanoff also notes that DOJ has had years to address the issue it is now in a rush to resolve; the IG report as well as the Fitzgerald-Comey relationship and memo affair have been public knowledge since 2019; Fitzgerald didn't suddenly become Comey's defense counsel—he's been that since Sept 25
Interestingly, Nachmanoff lets us know some of what was under the redaction blocks in the defense's reply to the motion to expedite.
Motion to Dismiss for Vindictive and Selective Prosecution.
+
Motion to Dismiss based on Unlawful Appointment of Halligan
These were expected and may be highly consequential to the case. Could kill it.
I predicted the former would be a "hefty" filing thanks to the many words Trump, Kash, and others in the administration have repeatedly uttered against Comey in interviews, rallies, and posted on social media.
It is The filing is 51 pages plus almost 80 pages in exhibits.
Is it "more compelling than most" filings of this type? We'll have to read it to find out. x.com/realjusthuman/…
The latter filing I predicted would likely give some folks a "case of the cognitive dissonances."
That's because, on the one hand, people on the right like that such a motion worked against Special Counsel Jack Smith... but don't like that a similar effort was lodged against Alina Habba in New Jersey... and they no doubt wish for this one to fail here against Lindsey Halligan.
And you can reverse all that for people on the left.
The attorney the evidence comes from has informed investigators that Patrick Fitzgerald is among the parties communicated with in the evidence.
That attorney is almost certainly Daniel Richman or David Kelley, and the evidence is communications acquired during DOJ-OIG investigation of Comey's Memos.
DOJ quotes from IG's report in their filing and notes that Comey used Fitzgerald to improperly disclose classified info.
-Michael Dreeben
Fmr Deputy Solicitor General, longtime DOJ prosecutor, and member of both the Mueller and Smith Special Counsel teams.
-Elias Kim
Litigator for Dept of Commerce and Solicitor General's Office. Experienced in appellate issues.
-Ephraim McDowell
Another alum of the Solicitor General's Office. Also worked in White House Counsel's Office.
-Rebekah Donaleski
Over a decade of experience as a prosecutor for the SDNY. Led the Public Corruption Unit there. Involved in the prosecutions of Senator Robert Menendez, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Michael Avenatti.
Kim, McDowell, and Donaleski are all from the Cooley Law Firm.