Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Legal Team Called Out by Feds for Consulting With Celebrity Attorney in Open Court

Only one day into Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial, the prosecution team is drawing the battle lines after a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian regarding the rap mogul’s defense team’s open court consultation with celebrity attorney Mark Geragos, who is not on the defense’s roster of lawyers but is a member of the media who hosts a podcast where he discusses the case. 

The letter, submitted by United States Attorney Jay Clayton on Monday, reminds the judge of Local Rule 23.1. Specifically, Rule 23.1(c) after noting how Mark Geragos, the star attorney to celebrities and father to one of the defense leads, Teny Geragos, did not file a notice of appearance in court and has no official role in the defense of Combs on sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution charges; the rap mogul pleaded not guilty to all counts following his September arrest in New York. 

“During the course of jury selection, despite the presence of seven defense attorneys who have filed notices of appearance in this case and a jury consultant, the defense team appeared to consult with Mark Geragos and other members of the Geragos & Geragos law firm who were present in court,” reads the letter, which has been viewed by The Hollywood Reporter. “Mr. Geragos and his firm have a long-standing relationship with the defendant, but neither Mr. Geragos nor any member of his firm has filed a notice of appearance in this case.”

The federal attorneys also note Gereagos’ involvement with a popular podcast — the weekly show 2 Angry Men, where he teams up with TMZ’s chief, Harvey Levin, to discuss Hollywood and its many “scandals, triumphs, and chaos.” As recently as Sunday, the day before the Combs trial began in Manhattan, an episode with Geragos speaking about the case, the make-up of the prosecution team, and, according to a blurb on Apple Podcasts, “revealing” the likely defense and prosecutor’s strategy.

The letter notes to Judge Subramanian that this sort of media chatter, coming from someone so close to the defense team and the defendant, could completely botch the trial. It also notes that Diddy admonished the prosecution in late April after members “commented on pretrial litigation and continued to broadcast prejudicial statements.”

“During a jury trial of any criminal matter, including the period of selection of the jury, no lawyer or law firm associated with the … defense shall give or authorize any extrajudicial statement or interview relating to the trial or the parties or issues in the trial which a reasonable person would expect to be disseminated by means of public communication if there is a substantial likelihood that such dissemination will interfere with a fair trial,” the letter states.

In court on Monday, Combs made a surprise statement and admission to the judge, uttering just nine words as Subramanian worked his way through questioning potential jurors. 

“I’m sorry, your honor, I’m a little nervous today,” the defendant said as he requested a quick bathroom break, which the judge granted him. The rap mogul, a near-billionaire, was arrested in September and has been housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and since September has denied bail three times. 

Potential jurors in the case, while waiting to speak with the judge as he is determining if they can be an unbiased participant in the justice process, were shown a list of over 100 people and places, all of which it was said may come up at trial, NBC News reported. The names include Mike Myers, Michael B. Jordan, Kid Cudi, and Kanye West. It is unclear how the names might be associated with elements of the trial — aside from Kid Cudi, who may have been the victim of a car bombing allegedly ordered by Combs while he was dating his ex-girlfriend — but speculation has run wild since Combs’ arrest regarding which famous names will come into play as he faces trial.