Politics
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Is Appealing His Criminal Conviction and Sentencing – But Panel Judges Seem Skeptical of His Argument

Diddy is appealing his conviction and sentence
Diddy is hopeful, but the judges appear unconvinced.
Around 10 months ago, disgraced hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was sentenced to a 50-month prison sentence.
Today, his lawyers presented his plea before an Appeals court, questioning both his conviction for ‘transportation to engage in prostitution’ and his sentencing.
Diddy is appealing his conviction, with the defense arguing that his “freak-offs” were filmed adult movies protected by the First Amendment, according to TMZ.
His team is also arguing that his 50-month sentence is out of line with sentencing guidelines — they say the typical… pic.twitter.com/HBENRaiD2J
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) April 9, 2026
Reuters reported:
“A lawyer for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs said on Thursday judges should not be allowed to consider conduct relating to charges for which a defendant has been acquitted in determining a sentence, urging an appeals court to overturn the hip-hop mogul’s conviction on prostitution charges and his prison sentence.
‘This case presents an important issue about a respect for jury verdicts and public confidence in our criminal justice system’, defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro told the Manhattan-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals during arguments in an appeal by Combs of his conviction and sentence of four years and two months in prison.”
Judge in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ appeal says they’ll issue their decision later as in all cases.
He said the “exceptionally difficult case” “is a question of first impression, not only for this court, but apparently for any federal court of appeals in the country.” pic.twitter.com/GfHD0Fv54g
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) April 9, 2026
ABC News reported:
“A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appeared skeptical on Thursday of Sean Combs’ argument that his prison sentence should be reduced because the judge unlawfully punished Combs as if he had been found guilty of more serious crimes.”
[…] Combs is serving a four-year prison sentence, which defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro said treats him as if he had been convicted of the more serious counts. She urged the appeals court to reduce the sentence ‘to ensure that not guilty really means not guilty’.”
CCTV video shows Diddy brutally beating Cassie Ventura during a ‘freak off’ sex marathon
The appellate judges deemed it constitutional for judge Arun Subramanian to consider ‘all of Combs’ conduct in establishing a sentence’.
“’We have two women who were plied with drugs to participate in this, one of whom became an opioid addict, so doesn’t that support the reasonableness of this?’ Judge M. Miller Baker asked.”
Diddy’s lawyer Alexandra Shapiro: “The judge acknowledged that he had been acquitted. But that’s not enough. That’s just makeweight.”
Judge: “It’s a rather disparaging characterization, and I want to understand what you mean by it.”
“That’s not what I mean, just to be clear.” pic.twitter.com/rek2SPNH2R
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) April 9, 2026
Read more: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Asks Federal Appeals Court for the Reversing of His Conviction and Immediate Prison Release
The post Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Is Appealing His Criminal Conviction and Sentencing – But Panel Judges Seem Skeptical of His Argument appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Politics
Acting AG Todd Blanche Says Reporter Could Be Subpoenaed in Iran Leak Investigation

Screenshot
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed on Tuesday during a press conference that the Trump administration is coming after the traitor who leaked classified details of the heroic Iran rescue mission.
As The Gateway Pundit has relentlessly reported, an American F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran last week in a brazen act of aggression by the terrorist regime. Both crew members ejected. One was rescued immediately.
But the second airman, the Weapons Systems Officer, was stranded deep behind enemy lines, evading capture by scaling a 7,000-foot mountain ridge and hiding in a crevice while Iranian forces hunted him with a massive bounty on his head.
What followed was nothing short of an Easter miracle. Both airmen were saved thanks to the unmatched bravery of our military.
President Trump himself revealed yesterday that somebody inside the government leaked critical details about the missing airman to the press, information that immediately tipped off the entire Iranian regime and put hundreds of American service members in mortal danger.
Trump said he’s prepared to send the reporter to jail unless they cough up the leaker’s identity.
Now Acting AG Todd Blanche is backing that up with steel.
When pressed by a reporter about whether there’s an ongoing leak investigation tied to the F-15E incident, Acting AG Blanche delivered a clear message:
Blanche: “I will never comment on ongoing investigations. I think that, to the extent that we have seen a series of leaks that necessarily involve classified information and put the lives of our soldiers or agents at risk, that is something we will always investigate.
And we will investigate, even if it means sending a subpoena to the reporter. That’s exactly what we should do, and that’s exactly what we will be doing.
If it means conducting standard investigations to identify who within the government feels it is acceptable to leak classified information and put lives at risk, then we will try to root him or her out as well.
So, I’m not going to discuss ongoing investigations, except to say that, yes, we will always investigate those types of leaks.”
WATCH:
The Gateway Pundit reported earlier that an Israeli journalist has come out and admitted to being the first to drop the bombshell details on the second missing U.S. airman in Iran.
Amit Segal, the high-profile political commentator and anchor for Israel’s Channel 12 news, stepped forward on his Telegram channel Monday and acknowledged his role in publishing the initial scoop about the downed U.S. fighter jet crew.
When confronted by the New York Post, Segal walked back his earlier claim, admitting he was “not sure” he had broken the story first, before adding that he would still protect his “sources.”
Read more:
Journalist Who First Broke Missing Airman Scoop Steps Forward After Trump’s Jail Threat — Vows to ‘Protect Sources’
The post Acting AG Todd Blanche Says Reporter Could Be Subpoenaed in Iran Leak Investigation appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Politics
DEVELOPING: Shelly Kittleson, American Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq, Freed After Week in Captivity


Shelly Kittleson, the American journalist who was kidnapped in Iraq last week, is set to be freed from captivity.
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped by armed men in Baghdad on Tuesday.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry confirmed the kidnapping.
Shelly Kittleson was reportedly kidnapped by Iranian-backed militias.
Per Al Jazeera last week:
“Security forces said they managed to arrest one of the suspects and seize one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping.”
“The Ministry of Interior announces that this evening, a foreign journalist was kidnapped by unknown individuals. Security forces immediately launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators, acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations, tracking the kidnappers’ movements.”
Video shows a group of armed men surrounding a vehicle, opening the doors of the car, and driving off.
Shelly Kittleson’s whereabouts and condition are not known.
CBS News reported:
American journalist Shelly Kittleson is being released a week after she was kidnapped in Baghdad, an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq said Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia said in a post on the group’s Telegram messaging app channel that Kittleson was being released on the condition that she leave Iraq immediately.
Her whereabouts were not immediately clear.
Alex Plitsas, Kittleson’s designated point of contact in the U.S. and a CNN national security analyst, previously told CBS News the U.S. government had warned Kittleson about a specific threat against her by Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed paramilitary group that was allegedly looking to kidnap or kill female journalists.
Kittleson was contacted multiple times with warnings of threats against her, including as recently as the night before she was abducted, a U.S. official had told CBS News.
American journalist Shelly Kittleson will be released after being abducted in Iraq, an Iranian-backed militia says. https://t.co/QSJJBNJ77b
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 7, 2026
The post DEVELOPING: Shelly Kittleson, American Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq, Freed After Week in Captivity appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Politics
BREAKING: President Trump Says ‘Somebody’ Leaked Information About Downed Fighter Jet and Missing Pilot to Media (VIDEO)


President Trump on Monday attended the White House briefing to update the public on the Iran conflict and the amazing and miraculous rescue of the missing fighter pilot.
Trump said that ‘somebody’ leaked information about the missing fighter pilot and ultimately put hundreds of US service members in danger.
A fighter pilot went missing last week after Iran shot down an F-15E fighter jet.
The fighter jet went down in a remote part of Iran on Friday. One pilot was rescued, and the other pilot, the ‘gunner,’ went missing.
The missing fighter pilot was rescued early Sunday morning local time.
In an incredible act of valor, the seriously wounded pilot evaded capture by scaling a 7,000-foot mountain ridge in Southern Iran and hiding out in a crevice.
President Trump said someone leaked information about the downed jet and missing pilot.
The president also vowed to jail the reporter who wrote the story on the downed jet if they don’t give up information about the leaker.
It is unclear which media outlet President Trump was referring to, but The New York Times, Washington Post, Axios, and Fox News all reported on the downed fighter jet.
“As you probably know, we didn’t talk about the first one for an hour, and then somebody leaked something, which we’ll hopefully find that leaker; we’re looking very hard to find that leaker, and talked about there’s somebody missing,” Trump said to reporters on Monday.
“They basically said that we have one, and there’s somebody missing. Well, they didn’t know there was somebody missing until this leaker gave the information!” Trump said.
“So whoever it is, we think we’ll be able to find it out, because we’re going to go to the media company that released it. And we’re going to say, national security, give it up or go to jail.”
“There’s some things you can’t do. When they did that, all of a sudden, the entire country of Iran knew that there was a pilot that was somewhere on their land that was fighting for his life!” Trump said.
He continued, “Because a leaker leaked – because we have one – we rescued one, but there’s another one out there that we’re trying to get, actually, the country, Iran, put out.. offering a very big award for anybody that captures the pilot.”
“They put this mission, that man at great risk, and hundreds of people looking for him!” he added.
“The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say!” Trump said.
WATCH:
The post BREAKING: President Trump Says ‘Somebody’ Leaked Information About Downed Fighter Jet and Missing Pilot to Media (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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