Sean “Diddy” Combs was indicted on three federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution this week, but according to his lawyer, the rapper will be pleading not guilty. And that thoroughly surprised Sunny Hostin on “The View” on Tuesday.
Following Combs’ arrest on Monday night, the grand jury indictment unsealed Tuesday asserts that between 2008 and now, Combs and associates “engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.”
For Hostin, who is a former federal prosecutor herself, the charges that jumped out first were the racketeering charges, as she noted that what was most “disturbing” to her about the enterprise described in the documents was “mob-like behavior.”
She also warned that these particular charges are typically not leveled lightly by prosecutors.
“RICO cases, or racketeering cases, are not that common, but racketeering convictions are very common in the federal government,” she explained. “Federal prosecutors generally don’t lose these kinds of cases.”
Summing up the 14-page document for her cohosts — including the note that, if Combs is found guilty, it could mean a max sentence of 20 years to life — Hostin marveled at the idea that Combs isn’t pleading guilty, as of now.
“I don’t even have this a triable case,” she said as the discussion came to an end. “If I were advising someone looking at something like this, this is a case that you plead guilty to and you take your chances.”
When host Joy Behar clarified whether Hostin meant admitting guilt, she confirmed, “Yeah, you take a plea in a case like this.”
You can watch the full discussion from “The View” in the video above.
“The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC. You can watch full episodes the same day on YouTube.
