White House denies report Trump considering commuting Combs sentence

The White House on Tuesday denied a report that President Donald Trump is considering commuting the 50-month federal prison sentence of music executive Sean "Diddy" Combs, rejecting claims that a decision could come as soon as this week. The administration called the account false and said the president, not anonymous sources, is the final authority on pardons and commutations, while others involved in the original report continued to stand by their account.

The report, which cited a senior White House official, said the president was vacillating and that some staff members were urging him not to grant clemency. It said Combs could leave custody immediately if a commutation were issued. The White House spokesperson responded that the report contained no truth and criticized the failure to seek comment before publication.

Combs, 55, was convicted in July on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the federal Mann Act and was sentenced on October 3 to 50 months in prison, a $500,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. He was acquitted of more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in...