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.
Also, if you want to penalize people burning flags, any flag, just enforce laws and ordinances already on the books against burning anything on public property without a permit.
🧵Update on DOJ's efforts to unseal Epstein and Maxwell grand jury material:
Judge Berman has DENIED DOJ's motion to unseal the grand jury materials in the Epstein case.
The reasons for the denial are the same as in Maxwell—no exceptions to Rule 6e and not a "special circumstance" case.
A judge CANNOT unseal grand jury materials UNLESS an exception under Rule 6e is met OR the case can be qualified as a "special circumstance" case.
In my thread on the denial to unseal grand jury materials in Maxwell I broke down the reasons for that denial and they are largely the same in this case.
According to an HPSCI whistleblower 302, and my own sleuthing, the "system" for leaking classified information to media was "established" by Minority Staff Director Michael Bahar.
**That's if I am correct on what's under the redaction block.**
In February of 2023 I wrote an article about Durham being assigned a media leak investigation.
Thanks to recent declassified docs, we now know that investigation was called "Tropic Vortex."
My article traced several subjects: the leaks investigations, the NYT engaging in a court battle against DOJ, Renteria memo, and Special Counsel Durham's efforts to investigate the Russian memoranda.
Thanks to recently declassified pages of the Durham Report and the declassified documents the FBI just turned over to the House, we now know a lot more about these efforts.
And the future shock I mentioned in the title of the article—it's here.
@CIADirector @DNIGabbard Two days before this email exchange, as the draft ICA was going through the review process, Brennan was pressuring people in his agency.