'Willing to do anything': Sean 'Diddy' Combs is now reportedly asking Trump for a pardon

As his criminal trial continues, rap artist Sean "Diddy" Combs is now apparently reaching out to the White House to gauge President Donald Trump's interest in granting him an official pardon.

Rolling Stone reported Friday that Combs — who is facing federal charges of sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice — is angling for a pardon despite privately disliking the president. The publication cited several unnamed sources close to both the rapper and the president who said pardon talks were ongoing.

“He’s willing to do anything to get out of jail,” said one source who told Rolling Stone they had known Combs for a decade. “He’s always been this way. He’s always going to do what he has to do to get out of a situation.”

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One of Combs' longtime friends is Corey Jacobs, who received a pardon in 2016 from President Barack Obama after having been convicted to a life sentence on drug-related charges. Rolling Stone's sources said that talks between Combs' legal team and the White House were "preliminary" and that the music mogul was "making connections with the Trump team."

According to Rolling Stone's Asawin Suebsaeng and Cheyenne Roundtree, Combs' associates are reportedly attempting to build a common bond with Trumpworld by characterizing both Combs and Trump as "successful businessmen and controversial celebrities who have been unfairly targeted by the feds and prosecutors in the Southern District of New York."

"The words 'deep state' came up once or twice," one source said.

While it remains unknown whether Trump will help Diddy with a pardon, the approach mirrors that recommended by one attorney who has several clients jockeying for a pardon from the administration. Attorney Eric Rosen told the Wall Street Journal recently that defendants who hope to get a pardon from Trump should aim to get close to someone who is in Trump's inner circle, and "make a pitch" that emphasizes how they have been wrongly prosecuted for political purposes.

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Click here to read Rolling Stone's full report (subscription required).