In Sean Combs Trial Defense Rests with Sexts After Diddy Praises Work of Judge

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 24 – At 4:30 pm on September 16 Inner City Press was told by its SDNY source to expect "the big one" - Sean Combs - the next day in an SDNY courtroom.

[Inner City Press published book / audio book Diddy Do It? on Sept 20 on Amazon here. On Week 1 of trial, book.

On June 24 Combs' Geragos crossed Agent Cerciello and played videos, then Alexandra Shapiro make a Rule 29 motion previewing summation - and appeal? Combs said he would not testify, and praised the judge's work. Thread

more on X for Subscribers here and Substack here

The case is USA v. Combs, 1:24-cr-542 (Subramanian)

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UNSG Cut Corners for Cronies Graca Griffin Baptista Gyles Now Inner City Press Asks Graca

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

UN GATE, June 24 –  How corrupt and decrepit has the UN system become under Antonio Guterres, in this case due to Guterres?

Inner City Press on June 2 published a memo leaked to it, even while Guterres bans it from entering the UN, about 20% cuts but with exceptions, here.

On June 19, after no answers by UN, Inner City Press applied to re-enter to ask, here. Later that day, June 19,  Inner City Press exclusively reported:

Dear Matthew Russell Lee:

I'm contacting you concerning what's happening in the UN right now because I cannot stand it any longer.   As you know, the Secretary General Guterres is imposing 20% abolishment of the posts without a clear guidance, and all staff members from the system are suffering from anxiety and worries from this.   However, the Secretary General is promoting and forcefully giving the posts to his entourages on the 38th floor without reason nor publication.  You can find numerous cases if you simply talk to many inside, and here are a few cases.

 Recently, he promoted Mr. Miguel Graca, his personal assistant from Portugal from D1 to D2 and now he is promoted "without proper process or announcement" to the ASG. His work or position was not changed at all, and he is still using his title as "Director of the office of the Secretary General" even though he is ASG. All of his predecessors who worked way much more effectively and harder stayed as D1 forever. He also promoted his special assistant Mr. Aguinaldo Baptista from P3 to P4 and to P5 and now to D1.

  The SG also appointed his long-time entourage from his transition team, Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as the Executive Director of the UNITAR, the ASG level with no clear process.  And he also appointed Ms. Michele Griffin to the Director of the Electoral Assistance Division in DPPA, bypassing all the proper procedures.

  [For now, Inner City Press cannot enter and ask about this]

Please investigate this and let everybody know of the injustice and wrongful act. [Will do]

   Inner City Press asked UN Spokespeople including Stephane Dujarric about this, no answer at all. The story was tweeted out before 8 am on June 20.

  Five days later inside the UN the loyal opposition Pass Blue - silent on Guterres' roughing up of and continues ban of Inner City Press, which Inner City Press linked to Graca as far back as August 2, 2018 - suddenly and belatedly has the Graca story, with no credit, and no mention of Inner City Press' June 19 report on the other three.

Those with access could have asked this at the UN noon briefing, not only on June 20 after Inner City Press published it but also on June 23 (when Inner City Press, even while live tweeting the US v. Sean Combs trial, covered the UN briefing from outside, here).

Now before the June 24 briefing, banned Inner City Press has asked UN Spox and Graca, "now that Graca has said comments are forthcoming, we have previously asked this: What are SG Guterres' responses to this, to Inner City Press from whistleblowers, on deadline: "Guterres promoted Mr. Miguel Graca, his personal assistant from Portugal from D1 to D2 and now he is promoted "without proper process or announcement" to ASG.  He also promoted his special assistant Mr. Aguinaldo Baptista from P3 to P4 and to P5 and now to D1 and Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as the Executive Director of the UNITAR, the ASG level with no clear process.  And he also appointed Ms. Michele Griffin to the Director of the Electoral Assistance Division in DPPA" - response? Now that Graca has said "I am in touch with the office of the spokesperson, who will send you comments" - send the comments or say why not, on deadline." Watch this site. Baptista next.

Guterres had the critical Press roughed up and thrown out. There has been no due process since, not even a response to Guterres' Melissa Fleming to a pro bono inquiry for Inner City Press from the law firm Quinn Emanuel. We'll have more on this.

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UNSG Cut Corners for Cronies Graca Griffin and Gyles Now 1 of 3 Stories Passes Blue

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

UN GATE, June 24 –  How corrupt and decrepit has the UN system become under Antonio Guterres, in this case due to Guterres?

Inner City Press on June 2 published a memo leaked to it, even while Guterres bans it from entering the UN, about 20% cuts but with exceptions, here.

On June 19, after no answers by UN, Inner City Press applied to re-enter to ask, here. Later that day, June 19,  Inner City Press exclusively reported:

Dear Matthew Russell Lee:

I'm contacting you concerning what's happening in the UN right now because I cannot stand it any longer.   As you know, the Secretary General Guterres is imposing 20% abolishment of the posts without a clear guidance, and all staff members from the system are suffering from anxiety and worries from this.   However, the Secretary General is promoting and forcefully giving the posts to his entourages on the 38th floor without reason nor publication.  You can find numerous cases if you simply talk to many inside, and here are a few cases.

 Recently, he promoted Mr. Miguel Graca, his personal assistant from Portugal from D1 to D2 and now he is promoted "without proper process or announcement" to the ASG. His work or position was not changed at all, and he is still using his title as "Director of the office of the Secretary General" even though he is ASG. All of his predecessors who worked way much more effectively and harder stayed as D1 forever. He also promoted his special assistant Mr. Aguinaldo Baptista from P3 to P4 and to P5 and now to D1.

  The SG also appointed his long-time entourage from his transition team, Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as the Executive Director of the UNITAR, the ASG level with no clear process.  And he also appointed Ms. Michele Griffin to the Director of the Electoral Assistance Division in DPPA, bypassing all the proper procedures. She didn't have any prior experience nor knowledge in election matters at all. She is definitely unqualified for such an important position.

 Having 1 year left with his tenure, he is sending down many names who had been working in the EOSG to the Department and Agencies and told them to find posts for them.   I have worked for the UN for the past 30 years and this has never happened before and NO Secretary General or whoever has authority to do so.  You can just talk to anybody in the Secretariat and everybody knows it. 

  [For now, Inner City Press cannot enter and ask about this]

Please investigate this and let everybody know of the injustice and wrongful act. [Will do]

   Inner City Press asked UN Spokespeople including Stephane Dujarric about this, no answer at all. The story was tweeted out before 8 am on June 20.

  Now five days later inside the UN the loyal opposition Pass Blue - silent on Guterres' roughing up of and continues ban of Inner City Press, which Inner City Press linked to Graca as far back as August 2, 2018 - suddenly and belatedly has the Graca story, with no credit, and no mention of Inner City Press' June 19 report on "Aguinaldo Baptista from P3 to P4 and to P5 and now to D1.

  The SG also appointed his long-time entourage from his transition team, Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as the Executive Director of the UNITAR, the ASG level with no clear process.  And he also appointed Ms. Michele Griffin to the Director of the Electoral Assistance Division in DPPA, bypassing all the proper procedures."

 Will these mysteriously come next? And note that those with access could have asked this at the UN noon briefing, not only on June 20 after Inner City Press published it but also on June 23 (when Inner City Press, even while live tweeting the US v. Sean Combs trial, covered the UN briefing from outside, here). For shame.

Guterres had the critical Press roughed up and thrown out. There has been no due process since, not even a response to Guterres' Melissa Fleming to a pro bono inquiry for Inner City Press from the law firm Quinn Emanuel. We'll have more on this.

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

As Sean Combs in MDC Is Sued for Sexual Assault of Joseph Rose Jurisdiction Questioned

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 23– With Sean Combs in jail in MDC-Brooklyn, on October 20 at least five more civil cases against him were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Inner City Press is covering the cases. 

 One of them is by a John Doe who states that at a 2022 award show after party in LA, he was sexually assaulted by Combs "and several others, including as of yet unnamed Celebrity A." Complaint on Patreon here.   

The case was assigned to Judge Jesse M. Furman - who like some but not all SDNY Judge getting these cases has said that a justification for pseudonymous status must be filed.

Docketed on January 7, Judge Furman ordered proof of service, and that "If unaware of the identity of counsel for Defendant, counsel receiving this order must forthwith send a copy of this Order to that party personally." MDC... Order on Patreon here

But on June 23, Combs' continued residence in MDC Brooklyn as deemed not necessarily enough as Judge Furman ordered responses, noting that "Plaintiff merely alleges his and Defendant Sean Combs’s states of residence, not their states of citizenship. Id. ¶¶ 32, 23 (alleging that Plaintiff resides in California); id. ¶ 24 (alleging that Combs “resides in New York City” and “is otherwise currently incarcerated in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn”). But for the purpose of diversity jurisdiction, “a statement of the parties’ residence is insufficient to establish their citizenship." Full order and deadlines on Patreon here

 This case is now Rose v. Combs, et al., 1:24-cv-7974 (Furman)

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

In Sean Combs Trial Agent Is Asked of Jane Texts with Sly Then Videos Only to Jury

 

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 23 – At 4:30 pm on September 16 Inner City Press was told by its SDNY source to expect "the big one" - Sean Combs - the next day in an SDNY courtroom. [Inner City Press published book / audio book Diddy Do It? on Sept 20 on Amazon here. On Week 1 of trial, book. On June 23 Agent Cerciello was questioned by AUSA Comey then Combs' Teny Geragos about Jane's text with Sly Diggler, thread more on X for Subscribers here and Substack here The case is USA v. Combs, 1:24-cr-542 (Subramanian) *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UN Volker Turk Collaborated in Banning Press now Seeks Swiss Funds to Keep Palais Staff Say

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

UN GATE, June 22 –  How corrupt and decrepit has the UN system become under Antonio Guterres, in this case due to Guterres? Today's example is again from the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, to which Guterres appointed his unqualified crony Volker Turk more than two years ago.

From OHCHR staff: Dear Mr Lee Staff in OHCHR is tired of nepotism and management incompetence. Under Volker Turk OHCHR will lose Palais Wilson, it’s historic HQ, and many jobs but not because of Donald Trump as Turk claims. The truth is that OHCHR had a 60 million deficit already at the end of 2024. 60 million of wasted tax payers moneys. Since his appointment almost 3 years ago, Turk has thrown money around in useless iniciatives like UDHR75 or his innovation hub with no oversight nor accountability.  It is not Donald Trump it is management incompetence and nepotism, hiring friends, hiring spouses, hiring unqualified persons (Nada Al Nashif and Kim Taylor have a lot to answer).

There are so many examples, director Maarit Kohonen husband went from P1 and P4 in record time,  unqualified Matthias Behnke brags a sour his friendship with Turk to become a regional director, Kim Taylor lied about her PHP, lied to get whistleblower Emma Reilly fired and hired her boyfriend. More examples to follow. Now Turk wants to open a regional office in his home town Vienna as part of his exit strategy when there is already a regional office in Brussels.  Staff keeps getting sacrificed, relocated and fired while money is wasted. It is not Donald Trump, it is corruption.

And Switzerland now is announcing a rescue package for the UN in Geneva. Well, Switzerland should not put taxpayer moneys without full investigation into reports of nepotism and mismanagement in OHCHR. Help us Mr Lee to expose corruption."

Will try, have applied to re-enter.

Turk as a staffer on Guterres' 38th floor did nothing when his boss Guterres had the critical Press roughed up and thrown out. There has been no due process since, not even a response to Guterres' Melissa Fleming to a pro bono inquiry for Inner City Press from the law firm Quinn Emanuel. Some human righters.

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UNSC Accomplishes Nothing on Iran As UNSG Guterres Slumps with Cronies and Bans Press

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

UN GATE, June 22 –  How corrupt and irrelevnt has the UN system become under Secretary Ganeral Antonio Guterres, who bans the Press from entering his UN?

  After accomplishing nothing on Ukraine and Gaza, much less DRC, Haiti or Cameroon, on June 21 Guterres put out a robo-statement, "I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law."

During a more than two hour UN Security Council meeting on June 22, Guterres slumped in his chair, glared and sharpened his pencil. Free UN Coalition for Access (FUNCA) thread here. (There is a draft resolution with zero odds of enactment.)
 
  Guterres is lawless. A media reporting on omissions from Guterres' financial disclosures, and otherwise questioning his policies, he had roughed up and then banned entirely, with no appeal.

 Recently, he promoted Mr. Miguel Graca, his personal assistant from Portugal from D1 to D2 and now he is promoted "without proper process or announcement" to ASG.  He also promoted his special assistant Mr. Aguinaldo Baptista from P3 to P4 and to P5 and now to D1. Guterres is corrupt.

  The SG also appointed his long-time entourage from his transition team, Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as the Executive Director of the UNITAR, the ASG level with no clear process.  And he also appointed Ms. Michele Griffin to the Director of the Electoral Assistance Division in DPPA, bypassing all the proper procedures. She didn't have any prior experience nor knowledge in election matters at all. His UN ha failed on elections too, see JOH in Honduras.

  For now, Inner City Press cannot enter and ask about this - its written questions are unanswered by Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres had the critical Press roughed up and thrown out. There has been no due process since, not even a response to Guterres' Melissa Fleming to a pro bono inquiry for Inner City Press from the law firm Quinn Emanuel. On June 19, 2025 Inner City Press re-applied to enter and report live on the UN. We'll have more on this.

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

Dying UN Offers Buy Outs in Lebanon Amid Press Freedom Litmus Test Guterres Fails

by Matthew Russell Lee

UN GATE, June 21 –  On World Press Freedom Day, the United Nations of Antonio Guterres claimed to be in support of journalists being able to do their work without hinderance.

  But UN Global Communications chief Melissa Fleming put out a video of Guterres equating what he (and she) characterize as disinformation as the threat to press freedom, Guterres has banned Inner City Press from entering the UN since 2018, when it exposed the omission of links to bribery firm CEFC China Energy from his financial disclosure. 

On June 19, 2025, Inner City Press submitted an application to cover the UN General Assembly, letter here.

Now on June 21 we reporting, from whistleblowers, the UN's offer of buy-outs in UNIFIL in Lebanon with the mission's mandate set to expire this summer:

HR : Consideration of Agreed Terminations – Guidance to Staff
Dear Colleagues,  This broadcast is to advise that UNIFIL is currently considering the possibility of offering Agreed Termination packages, without enhancement, to civilian staff who may be interested, subject to the number of requests and availability of funding.  The Mission therefore advises interested staff to send a memorandum requesting Agreed Termination to the Chief Human Resources Officer, indicating why they believe it is in the best interest of the organization to approve their request.  Please note that in all cases, without exception, the date of separation would be 30 June 2025.

Agreed termination may include notice, or compensation in lieu of notice in accordance to staff rules.  Staff members who could exercise their acquired right to retire (60/62 or any time thereafter) but before their mandatory age of separation (65),  would not qualify for Agreed Termination as this would be considered retirement.  The terms and conditions must include that the staff member is not eligible for re-employment with the United Nations, its subsidiary organs, programs or funds for a period of 3 years following the date of separation from service (30 June 2025)

 Law firm Quinn Emanuel, on a pro bono basis, wrote to Fleming and the UN Correspondents Association (with state media of China on its board of directors) seeking a dialogue to reinstate Inner City Press. Later, so did the pro bono law firm of Duane Morris.

Now, with Inner City Press' UN and SDNY covering, including the Sean Combs trial, being picked up all over the world, the application. Watch this site.

 

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

In Sean Combs Trial After Brendan Paul Admits Drug Buys Combs Puts In His Verdict Form

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 20 – At 4:30 pm on September 16 Inner City Press was told by its SDNY source to expect "the big one" - Sean Combs - the next day in an SDNY courtroom.

[Inner City Press published book / audio book Diddy Do It? on Sept 20 on Amazon here. On Week 1 of trial, book.

On June 20 Brendan Paul said his arrest was a personal use quantity, thread - then at midnight Combs' lawyers put in their draft verdict form starting "If you answered Not Guilty as to Count One, proceed to Count Two. If you answered Guilty, which racketeering acts do you unanimously find the defendant agreed would be committed?" - full form on Patreon here

more on X for Subscribers here and Substack here

The case is USA v. Combs, 1:24-cr-542 (Subramanian)

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

Sean Combs Trial Week 6 Now in Book Form From Drug Mule to Juror Rules Closings Loom

 

by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 20 – In the first week of the US v. Sean Combs trial, there was talk in court about filings that were not included, even in sealed or redacted form, in the public docket.   

On May 15 Inner City Press which is closely covering the trial (and has published now three books on it) filed an application with Judge Arun Subramanian and all counsel for docketing. It has been granted - twice.

  During Week 6 witnesses ranged from Special Agents to "Diddy's drug mule" Brendan Paul, who eschewed that moniker.

On June 20 Inner City Press published its sixth book on the case here (Amazon blocked the second book, so now on Google Play, and audio; both allow for free samples) - more to follow.

   Watch this site.

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.