Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team has filed a motion to dismiss one of the federal charges against him, claiming racial bias and challenging the application of The Mann Act, a controversial law from 1910.

Combs currently faces three federal charges:

• Racketeering conspiracy
• Sex trafficking
• Transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution (The Mann Act violation)

The Mann Act, originally called the White-Slave Traffic Act, was designed to prevent human trafficking but has a controversial history of being used disproportionately against Black men. Diddy's legal team argues that no white defendant has faced similar prosecution under this statute in modern times.

The defense's motion emphasizes the unprecedented nature of the case, stating: "This case is unprecedented in many ways, but perhaps most notably, and most disturbingly, no White person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution."

Prosecutors have rejected claims of racial bias, maintaining that the case focuses on criminal conduct rather than race. They cite recent applications of The Mann Act, including its use in the 2021 Ghislaine Maxwell trial, to demonstrate the law's continued relevance.

The court's decision on whether to drop the charge could set a significant precedent for future Mann Act cases. The outcome will either validate concerns about racial bias in prosecution or affirm the modern application of this historic law.

The case continues to generate substantial public debate about the intersection of race, justice, and the relevance of century-old legislation in modern criminal prosecution.

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