"Puff Daddy" pleads not guilty to bribery charges

March 1, 2000
Web posted at: 1:37 AM EST (0637 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Hip-hop music mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs pleaded not guilty Tuesday to bribery charges related to a December shooting at a New York nightclub.

"I am outraged by the new bribery charge. As I have said before, this charge is completely baseless," Combs said in a statement afterward. "I did not bribe anyone at anytime anywhere. I look forward to my day in court and being completely exonerated on all the charges."

The judge released Combs and Anthony Jones, each on $20,000 cash bail to be paid by Friday.

The two men were already charged on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, stemming from a shooting at a Times Square-area nightclub in which three people were wounded.

An indictment claims Combs and Jones offered Combs' driver, Wardel Fenderson, $50,000 if Fenderson, who was a witness to the Dec. 27, 1999 shooting, claimed ownership of a gun that police recovered from their vehicle.

Combs had fled the club with singer-actress Jennifer Lopez and Jones, a longtime friend, in a Lincoln Navigator and were arrested after an 11-block chase by police.

A Combs protege, Jamal "Shyne" Barrow, was charged with attempted murder in connection with the shooting.

For more MUSIC news, myCNN.com will bring you news from the areas and subjects you select.

See related sites about MUSIC

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.