MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER, Author at The Rapid City Post

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing a spending bill that ends a partial shutdown of the federal government in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Judge set to hear arguments as court gives Trump another shot at nixing hush money conviction

February 3, 2026

A federal judge is set to hear arguments as he again weighs a legal maneuver that could lead to President Donald Trump having his hush money conviction erased. Wednesday’s hearing comes after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in November ordered U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein to reconsider his decision to keep the case in state court instead of moving it to federal court. A three-judge panel ruled that Hellerstein erred by failing to consider “important issues relevant” to Trump’s request to move the New York case to federal court, where he can seek to have it thrown out on presidential immunity grounds. They said they expressed “no view” on how Hellerstein should rule. Trump is not expected to attend.

A document with an email chain from Jeffrey Epstein illustrates the amount of redactions of personally identifiable information that the U.S. Department of Justice was required to do before release of Epstein documents, is photographed Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

Judge: Deal reached to protect identities of Epstein victims in documents release

February 3, 2026

A federal judge who presided over the sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein says a Wednesday conference to address harm done to the financier’s victims by a massive release of records isn’t needed after a deal was struck to protect their identities. Judge Richard M. Berman cancelled the hearing late Tuesday after he was notified by Florida attorney Brittany Henderson that “extensive and constructive discussions” with the Justice Department had resulted in an agreement to protect victims’ identities. On Sunday, Henderson and attorney Brad Edwards had sought judicial intervention, saying nearly 100 victims had been harmed by sloppy redactions to a massive release of Epstein documents that began Friday.

A document that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files is photographed Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, shows the report when Epstein was taken into custody on July 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

Justice Department says it’s taken down Epstein-related files that may have had victim information

February 2, 2026

The Justice Department says it has taken down several thousand documents and “media” that may have inadvertently included victim-identifying information since it began releasing the latest batch of documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein on Friday. It blamed the release of sensitive information that drew an outcry from victims and their lawyers on mistakes that were “technical or human error.” In a letter to the New York judges overseeing the sex trafficking cases brought against Epstein and confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton wrote that the department had taken down nearly all materials identified by victims or their lawyers, along with a “substantial number” of documents identified independently by the government.

FILE - Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court for an evidence hearing, Dec. 18, 2025, in New York. (Shannon Stapleton/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Judge bars federal prosecutors from seeking death penalty against Luigi Mangione

January 30, 2026

A judge has ruled that federal prosecutors can’t seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett’s ruling Friday foiled the Trump administration’s bid to see Mangione executed for what it called a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge against Mangione, finding that it was technically flawed. She left in place stalking charges that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.

Prosecutor tells jury 2 real estate agents and a third brother used ‘playbook’ in sex attacks

January 27, 2026

A prosecutor has told a New York jury in an opening statement that three brothers — two of them high-end real estate agents — used drugs, alcohol and sometimes force to sexually attack numerous women over a 12-year stretch. Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Smyser made the accusations Tuesday at a sex trafficking trial in Manhattan federal court against Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander. Attorney Teny Geragos urged the jury to reject the government’s “monstrous story,” saying the brothers were “party boys,” not predators. The brothers have pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers say prosecutors are criminalizing consensual sex.

FILE - In this screenshot, Miami Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy S. Glazer is seen via video presiding over the first court appearance of Alon Alexander, who is charged with sexual battery along with his twin brother, Oren Alexander, on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Miami. (Miami Dade Circuit Court via AP, Pool, File)

‘A Team’ of real estate brokers faces sex crimes trial in New York

January 26, 2026

Three brothers, including two once dubbed “The A Team” for their skill at selling high-end real estate, face opening statements at a New York trial where they are charged with drugging and raping numerous women. The Alexander brothers — Tal and twins Alon and Oren — have pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges. Their lawyers insist that prosecutors are criminalizing sexual activity between consenting adults. Opening statements are scheduled for Tuesday. The men have been held without bail since their 2024 arrest in Miami, where they lived. Oren and Tal sold real estate in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. Their brother ran the family’s private security firm.

Documents that were included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files are photographed Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

Judge rules against lawmakers pressing for monitor to ensure release of Epstein files

January 21, 2026

A judge overseeing Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case says two members of Congress lack the legal right to intervene and press their demand for a court-appointed observer to ensure the government complies with a new law ordering release of its files on Jeffrey Epstein. But the judge says the lawmakers are free to bring a civil lawsuit or work through the tools they have in Congress to improve oversight. The lawmakers had co-sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act and said the Trump administration’s slow disclosure of Epstein investigation documents violated the law. The judge said they raised “undeniably important and timely” questions but couldn’t intervene in the case.

Jury selection begins for luxury real estate brothers accused of sexually abusing women

January 20, 2026

Jury selection has begun in the New York City trial of two luxury real estate brokers and their brother, who are accused of sexually abusing dozens of women. Prosecutors allege that Oren, Tal and Alon Alexander showered victims with free travel and luxury accommodations before drugging and raping them in vacation destinations such as the Hamptons. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday. Prosecutors say the brothers provided victims with drugs such as cocaine and psychedelic mushrooms or drugged their drinks before sexually assaulting them. Defense lawyers acknowledge that the men had sex with women but say the women were willing participants.

Justice Department says members of Congress can’t intervene in release of Epstein files

January 16, 2026

Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor said Friday that a judge lacks the authority to appoint a neutral expert to oversee the public release of documents in the sex trafficking probe of financier Jeffrey Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer was told in a letter signed by Jay Clayton that he must reject a request made earlier this month by the congressional cosponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act to appoint a neutral expert. The request was made earlier this month by the congressional cosponsors of legislation that forced the release of materials last month.

FILE - Bruce Fein testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Judge rejects lawyer’s disputed bid to join ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s defense team

January 12, 2026

A federal judge has rejected attorney Bruce Fein’s bid to join the legal team representing former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro against charges in a long running drug conspiracy. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein ruled Monday in a written order that Fein’s application to join a defense team led by attorney Barry Pollack “has no legal basis.” Fein, an associate deputy attorney general during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, claimed in court papers that “individuals credibly situated” within Maduro’s inner circle or family had requested Fein’s assistance. But the judge said only Maduro can retain Fein, not unidentified individuals.

Drew Dixon talks to a fan before entering the courthouse in New York, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Music honcho L.A. Reid settles with ex-recording executive who accused him of sexual assault

January 12, 2026

Grammy award-winning music producer Antonio “L.A.” Reid has reached a settlement with a former record company executive who alleged in a lawsuit that he sexually assaulted her and ruined her career. The terms of the settlement with Reid’s accuser, Drew Dixon, were not made public. Dixon stood outside court with her family and lawyers smiling as she said she was “excited to get back to making music.” Reid’s lawyer, Imran H. Ansari, said in a statement that the lawsuit had been resolved ”amicably” without any admission of liability.

Judge: Marital bliss and claims of monogamy are no defense against rape conspiracy charges

January 12, 2026

A federal judge says marriage and the alleged embrace of a monogamous lifestyle cannot prove the innocence of a man charged in a conspiracy with his two brothers — both luxury real estate brokers — to sexually attack women. Judge Valerie E. Caproni on Monday rejected Alon Alexander’s request to dismiss one count of the indictment he faces and use his 2019 engagement to be married as a defense at a trial scheduled to start next week in Manhattan. Prosecutors say all three men, who have pleaded not guilty, are accused of drugging and raping women. The judge called proof of Alon Alexander’s engagement and marriage irrelevant.

Luigi Mangione appears in Manhattan Criminal Court for an evidence hearing, Thursday , Dec. 18, 2025, in New York. (Shannon Stapleton/Pool Photo via AP)

Luigi Mangione heads to court as he fights to block death penalty, murder charge and key evidence

January 8, 2026

Luigi Mangione is due in federal court for a pivotal hearing in his fight to bar the government from seeking the death penalty against him in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Garnett has said she also plans to set a trial date during Friday’s proceeding. Mangione’s lawyers contend that authorities prejudiced his case by turning his December 2024 arrest into a “Marvel movie” spectacle and by publicly declaring their desire to see him executed even before he was formally indicted. The charge that has enabled the government to seek the death penalty is murder by firearm. His attorney’s say it’s legally flawed. Federal prosecutors say Mangione’s lawyers are wrong.

A Venezuelan immigrant critical of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrates while wearing the country's flag outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

After capture and removal, Venezuela’s Maduro is being held at notorious Brooklyn jail

January 4, 2026

The New York jail holding Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is a facility so troubled, some judges have refused to send people there even as it has housed such famous inmates as music stars R. Kelly and Sean “Diddy” Combs. The Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn opened as a jail in the early 1990s. It currently houses about 1,300 inmates. The lockup is located next to a shopping mall in a waterfront industrial area. It has been described as a “hell on earth” and an “ongoing tragedy.” The federal Bureau of Prisons says it has worked to improve conditions, however.

FILE - Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan after a mistrial on a rape charge, Aug. 13, 2025 in New York. (Steven Hirsch /New York Post via AP, Pool, File)

Harvey Weinstein accuser Kaja Sokola is being sued for defamation. The plaintiff: Her sister

December 26, 2025

The sister of a Harvey Weinstein accuser who testified at the movie mogul’s most recent trial has sued her sibling, saying her public remarks are damaging her reputation as a cardiologist in Poland. Ewa Sokola said in the Manhattan federal court lawsuit Tuesday that her sister — Weinstein accuser Kaja Sokola — has made false statements subjecting her to public hatred, shame, ridicule and disgrace. Ex-model Kaja Sokola has said her sister’s testimony at Weinstein’s trial undermined her claim that he forced oral sex on her in 2006. Weinstein was convicted last June of sexually assaulting a film producer but was acquitted of a charge related to Kaja Sokola. Lawyers for Kaja Sokola did not immediately comment.

FILE - Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, during a news conference in New York on July 2, 2020. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Public release of Epstein records puts Maxwell under fresh scrutiny amid her claims of innocence

December 24, 2025

British socialite and onetime Jeffrey Epstein girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is back in the spotlight with the public release of investigative records that led to her 2021 sex trafficking conviction. Among items unsealed are the grand jury transcripts of testimony that led to her indictment. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence. She was moved to a minimum-security camp in Texas earlier this year soon after she submitted to two days of questioning by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Two weeks ago, she asked a federal judge to free her, claiming she was unjustly convicted. The public release of investigative materials brings fresh light to the evidence against her.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs seeks immediate release from prison in appeals argument

December 23, 2025

Lawyers for hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs are asking a federal appeals court in New York to order his immediate release from prison. The lawyers filed late Tuesday with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. They also want the court to reverse his conviction or direct his trial judge to lighten his four-year sentence on prostitution-related charges. The lawyers say Combs was treated harshly at sentencing by a judge. They say the judge let evidence surrounding charges he was acquitted of unjustly influence him. Combs is incarcerated at a federal prison in New Jersey. He was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking at a trial that ended in July.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters following the weekly policy luncheons at the Capitol, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Schumer urges Senate to take legal action over Justice Department’s staggered Epstein files release

December 22, 2025

The Senate’s top Democrat is urging his colleagues to take legal action over the Justice Department’s incremental and heavily redacted release of records pertaining to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced a resolution that, if passed, would direct the Senate to file or join lawsuits aimed at forcing the Justice Department to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. That law, enacted last month, required disclosure of records by Friday. In lieu of Republican support, Schumer’s resolution is largely symbolic. It’ll likely face an uphill battle for passage. But it allows Democrats to continue a pressure campaign for disclosure that Republicans had hoped to put behind them. The senate is off until Jan. 5.

Foto entregada por el Registro de Delincuentes Sexuales del Estado de Nueva York, que muestra a Jeffrey Epstein, el 28 de marzo del 2017. (Registro de Delincuentes Sexuales del Estado de Nueva York via AP)

A vocal Jeffrey Epstein accuser is urging judges to unseal his court records

December 3, 2025

One of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s most vocal accusers is urging judges to grant the Justice Department’s request unseal to records from their federal sex trafficking cases, saying that “only transparency is likely to lead to justice.” Annie Farmer weighed in through her lawyer, Sigrid S. McCawley, after the judges asked for input from victims before ruling on whether the records should be made public under a new law requiring the government to open its files on the late financier and his longtime confidante. Farmer and other victims fought for the passage of the law, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

FILE — Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, July 2, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Government push to unseal court records offers clues about what could be in the Epstein files

November 26, 2025

It’s not clear when the Justice Department will release its files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell. But a court battle over sealed documents in Maxwell’s criminal case is offering clues about what could be in those Epstein records. Government lawyers asked a judge on Wednesday to allow the release of a wide range of material from Maxwell’s case. That material is subject to secrecy orders that the Justice Department wants lifted as it works to comply with a new law mandating the public release of Epstein and Maxwell investigative files.

FILE - The New York Police Department has extra security in place in front of the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse for the start of jury selection in the trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Nov. 5, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Alleged plot to bribe a juror with $100,000 upends former heavyweight boxer’s NYC drug trial

November 17, 2025

A federal jury about to hear the drug-trafficking case against former heavyweight boxer Goran Gogic was abruptly dismissed after three men were charged with trying to bribe a juror with up to $100,000 to exonerate Gogic. John Marzulli, a spokesperson for federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, says an anonymous jury will be chosen when the trial resumes in a month. Opening statements were scheduled for Monday in Gogic’s trial. The former boxer from Montenegro has been described by authorities as a major drug trafficker. He pleaded not guilty to charges including violating and conspiring to violate the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act.

Luigi Mangione is escorted into Manhattan state court in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Prosecutors say no harm was done by social media posts about assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO

October 8, 2025

Federal prosecutors say no harm was done to the prospects for a fair trial when two U.S. Justice Department officials reposted potentially inflammatory comments President Donald Trump made about Luigi Mangione after his arrest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. Prosecutors sent a letter Wednesday to a Manhattan federal judge who last month asked them to explain the posts and what steps the department had taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges in the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson on Dec. 4. The assassination happened as he arrived at a Manhattan hotel for his company’s annual investor conference.

What the key witnesses at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial told the jury

October 3, 2025

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex crimes trial involved testimony from 34 witnesses. They included Combs’ ex-girlfriends Cassie and Jane, who said he forced them into drug-fueled sex marathons, a sex worker they knew as “The Punisher,” personal assistants who said they witnessed his violence and facilitated his sexual exploits, and other women who accused him of abuse. A judge is scheduled to sentence Combs Friday after he was convicted in July of transporting people across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. He could get years in prison.

FILE - Sean "Diddy" Combs sits courtside in the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks, March 12, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ is set to be sentenced and faces the possibility of years in prison

October 2, 2025

Sean “Diddy” Combs faces sentencing Friday in a sordid criminal case that could potentially keep him behind bars for years. The famed hip-hop mogul was convicted in July of flying people around the country, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, to engage in sexual encounters, a violation of the federal Mann Act. A jury acquitted Combs of more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. Those could have led to a life prison sentence. Prosecutors say he should still spend over 11 years behind bars. Combs’ lawyers want him freed now.

On eve of sentencing, Combs tells judge he was ‘broken to my core’ and felt he’d be better off dead

October 2, 2025

On the eve of his sentencing, Sean “Diddy” Combs says he is a new man after realizing he was “broken to my core” and wondering if he was better off dead after his arrest last year. Combs wrote in a letter sent to the judge late Thursday that he is free of alcohol and drugs and with his nearly clear mind can see how rotten he had become before his September 2024 arrest on sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and prostitution-related charges. A jury in July acquitted him of the most serious charges, meaning that he can’t face a life sentence. His lawyers say he should go free this month. Prosecutors are seeking over 11 years.

Defense tells judge Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has served enough time behind bars

September 22, 2025

Lawyers for music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs are urging a judge to sentence him early next month to no more than 14 months in prison for his conviction on two prostitution-related charges. The lawyers made their arguments Monday in a written submission to a New York federal Judge Arun Subramanian. He’s already rejected bail for Combs, signaling that he believes he must serve more time behind bars despite being exonerated in July of the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors, who will submit their recommendations prior to the Oct. 3 sentencing, have already said they’ll urge Combs stay imprisoned substantially longer than the four to five years they originally thought.

FILE - Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, left, and his wife, Nadine Menendez, arrive at the federal courthouse in New York, Sept. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)

Things to know about the bribery prosecution of ex-Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez

September 11, 2025

The sentencing of Nadine Menendez has brought to a close a prosecution that focused on the years after she met then-Sen. Bob Menendez in 2018. Bob Menendez began serving his 11-year prison sentence three months ago. His wife will begin her 4½-year sentence next year to allow time for recovery from treatment for breast cancer. Their separate trials focused in part on $480,000 in cash and $150,000 in gold bars found in their home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, during a 2022 FBI raid. The bribery proceeds earned the Democratic former senator the moniker “Gold Bar Bob.”

Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo speaks outside Manhattan federal court after Sean "Diddy" Combs was denied bail after being convicted of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sentencing set for Oct. 3 after split verdict in federal sex crimes case

July 8, 2025

Sean “Diddy” Combs will be sentenced in his federal criminal case on Oct. 3. A judge confirmed the schedule on Tuesday after probation officials rejected the defense and prosecution’s plan to move the date up by about two weeks. Combs remains jailed after a split verdict last week. The hip-hop mogul’s lawyers had been urging Judge Arun Subramanian to sentence him as soon as possible. Combs’ lawyers want less than the 21 to 27 months in prison that they believe the sentencing guidelines recommend. Prosecutors contend that because of Combs’ violent history, the guidelines call for at least four to five years in prison.

What the key witnesses at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial told the jury

July 1, 2025

The jury deliberating at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial heard testimony from 34 witnesses over the last seven weeks. They included Combs’ ex-girlfriends Cassie and Jane, who said he forced them into drug-fueled sex marathons they called “freak-offs” and “hotel nights,” a sex worker they knew as “The Punisher,” personal assistants who said they witnessed his violence and facilitated his sexual exploits, and other women who accused him of abuse. All of the witnesses were called by the prosecution. Combs waived his right to testify — not unusual for criminal defendants — and his defense team declined to call any witnesses of their own. Instead, they sought to undercut the allegations via cross-examination during the prosecution’s case.

Jury due to begin deliberating in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial

June 29, 2025

Jurors are set to start deliberating in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking case. The jury of eight men and four women will weigh on Monday charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life. The 55-year-old Combs has pleaded not guilty. Jurors heard seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about Combs’ propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fueled sex marathons dubbed “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.” Defense lawyers acknowledge that Combs could be violent but maintain that the sex acts were consensual. In all, 34 witnesses testified, headlined by Combs’ former girlfriend Cassie.

Cassie, Jane, Cudi and freak-offs: How Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial has played out

June 25, 2025

During weeks of testimony at the sex-trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, nearly three dozen witnesses took their turns in front of a federal jury. Key witnesses included two former Combs’ girlfriends — Cassie and “Jane” — who spent 10 trial days describing being forced over the last two decades to have sex with other men while Combs watched and sometimes filmed the encounters. Other witnesses included rapper Kid Cudi and several former Combs’ employees. Combs has pleaded not guilty. He played an active role in his defense, consulting frequently with his lawyers and influencing their work.

Key moments from the sixth week of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial

June 20, 2025

A holiday and a juror’s illness shortened the sixth week of the Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial as prosecutors nearly concluded their case, setting the stage for the defense presentation. The first five weeks of the trial featured emotional testimony as prosecutors tried to prove the hip-hop mogul oversaw a racketeering conspiracy enabled by violence, drugs and money. The sixth week introduced the jury to hundreds of documents, text messages and several sex videos of so-called “freak-offs.” Prosecutors say Combs forced two ex-girlfriends to have sex with male sex workers while he watched and recorded the dayslong events.

A view from the jury box is shown inside a federal courtroom similar to the room where the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ is being held in Federal District court in Manhattan on Friday, June 6, 2025 in New York. (Jefferson Siegel /The New York Times via AP, Pool)

An ex-college basketball player testifies that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs got ‘extremely creative’ on drugs

June 20, 2025

A former Syracuse University basketball player has told the jury at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial that the music mogul got “extremely creative” when he was on drugs. Brendan Paul testified on Friday about working for Combs for 18 months. Paul was arrested at a Miami airport in March 2024 with cocaine he says belonged to Combs. His testimony comes as prosecutors are winding down their case, and are expected to rest by Monday. A defense presentation is expected to last from two to five days. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

FILE - Former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., speaks to reporters outside federal court in New York, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)

Disgraced former Sen. Bob Menendez arrives at prison to begin serving his 11-year bribery sentence

June 17, 2025

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez reported to federal prison on Tuesday to begin serving an 11-year sentence for accepting bribes of gold and cash and acting as an agent of Egypt. The federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that the New Jersey Democrat is in custody at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill in Minersville, Pennsylvania. The facility has both a medium-security prison and a minimum-security prison camp. Menendez resigned from the Senate last year after his conviction. FBI agents found $480,000 in cash in his home, some of it stuffed inside boots and jacket pockets. They also found gold bars worth an estimated $150,000. Menendez denies he took bribes. He says he was unfairly prosecuted.

Inside a federal courtroom is shown, similar to the room where the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ is being held in Federal District court in Manhattan on Friday, June 6, 2025 in New York. (Jefferson Siegel /The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyer complains about trial secrecy as a famous rapper’s name goes unmentioned

June 12, 2025

A lawyer for Sean “Diddy” Combs is protesting the rising tide of secrecy at the hip-hop icon’s sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial after Combs and the public were excluded from lengthy legal arguments. Attorney Marc Agnifilo complained to Judge Arun Subramanian after Combs was left out of an hour-long robing room meeting Thursday, delaying testimony by a key witness by nearly two hours. Agnifilo said the need for a public trial was “an important issue, a constitutional issue” and objected to so much happening out of the earshot of his client. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges.

Rapper Kid Cudi leaves federal court after testifying at the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in New York, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Key moments from the second week of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial

May 23, 2025

The second week of Sean Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial featured a dozen witnesses who described the music mogul’s physical attacks on others or who provided testimony addressing the government’s charges. Several of them were reluctant witnesses who testified only in response to subpoenas and, in one case, after being granted immunity. The resistant witnesses sometimes were fertile ground for defense lawyers to elicit testimony to support their claims that the acts they witnessed were proof of domestic violence rather than the federal charges he faces. The trial resumes Tuesday.

Rapper Kid Cudi expected to testify at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial

May 20, 2025

Rapper and actor Kid Cudi is expected to testify at the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial. He is likely to take the witness stand either Wednesday or Thursday to tell the jury about his brief relationship 14 years ago with Combs ex-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie. Cassie testified last week that Combs was enraged when she left him for a period of time in 2011 and began dating Cudi. Prosecutors say Combs was so upset that he arranged to have Cudi’s convertible firebombed. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that he oversaw a racketeering enterprise that controlled Cassie and others through threats and violence.

MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER.