Jesse Weber (18:57)

For decades, he was untouchable.

Nick Cannon (18:59)

I've gone from Harlem to Hollywood.

Jesse Weber (19:03)

But now it's all coming undone.

Lindsey Graham (19:06)

Sean Combs, the mogul as we know it is over.

Nick Cannon (19:08)

He will never be that person again. Again, Even if he's found not guilty of these charges.

Jesse Weber (19:15)

I'm Jesse Weber, host of Law and Crimes. The Rise and Fall of Diddy, the Federal Trial. A front row seat to the biggest trial in entertainment history. Sex trafficking, racketeering, prostitution, allegations by federal prosecutors that span decades. And witnesses who are finally speaking out. The spotlight. Spotlight is harsher. The stakes are higher. And for Diddy, there may be no second chances. You can listen to the Rise and Fall of Diddy, the Federal Trial exclusively with Wondery Plus. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Spotify or Apple podcasts right now.

Gary Spence (19:54)

Before the Internet ruled Our Lives, AOL brought America online with email and instant messenger. By 2000, AOL was so powerful it bought media giant Time Warner. This was a deal that was supposed to bring us into the future, revolutionize media, but instead, it became one of the messiest corporate disasters in history. So what went wrong? The dot com crash? Culture clashes? Or something Deeper Business wars gives you a front row seat to the biggest moments in business and how they shape our world. Because when you're flying, flight perks disappear, your favorite restaurant chain goes bankrupt, or new tech threatens to reshape everything overnight, you can bet there's a deeper story behind the headlines. Make sure to follow Business wars on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. And you can binge all episodes of Business the AOL Time Warner Disaster early and ad free right now on Wondery.

Lindsey Graham (21:04)

Shortly after noon on August 31, 1992, the 11 day standoff at Ruby Ridge finally comes to an end. Randy Weaver leads his family down the hill, cradling his baby in one arm and holding onto beau grides with the other. Reaching the meadow at the bottom, the Weavers are bewildered by the scene that greets them. Several hundred federal agents, many of them heavily armed, are camped out, stationed here just for them. Then Randy is handcuffed, placed onto a stretcher, and taken to a medical tent. Soon after, he says goodbye to his daughters, Sarah and Rachel, and then he's loaded onto a helicopter and transported to jail. Hours later, the girls are flown to Iowa to be cared for by their grandparents. That night, attorney Gary Spence hops on a jet to Boise to meet with Randy Weaver for the first time. Spence is one of the most famous lawyers in the country. His clients have included nuclear power whistleblower Karen Silkwood, the first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos, and he's never lost a criminal trial. In the days leading up to Randy's surrender, Spence was contacted by Bo Gritz, and in an effort to help end the standoff peacefully, Spence agreed to meet with Weaver following his eventual arrest. But now Spence has learned that Gritz exaggerated the problem promise, telling Weaver that the attorney had already agreed to represent him at a trial. In reality, Spence is wary of representing a man he's never met, especially one who's apparently some kind of Nazi sympathizer. So before Spence makes any promises of his own, he decides he needs to look Weaver in the eye. Spence travels to the Ada County Jail in Boise. He's dressed in the signature Western style he's famous for, with a tan buckskin coat and gray cowboy hat, and as he steps into the cell Weaver rises from his jailhouse bed. Based on the cable news reports, Spence expected to find a wild eyed extremist. But the man standing before him looks frail and broken. So Spence begins by telling Weaver that he has only agreed to this single meeting so far. If he's to act as Weaver's lawyer, Weaver will need to accept some ground rules. Spence bluntly informs Weaver that he disagrees with all of his political and racial beliefs. Spence has Jewish and black relatives and won't tolerate disrespect for them in his presence. Nor will he spend a minute defending those beliefs in court. If he chooses to represent Weaver, Spence's only job will be to ensure he gets a fair trial based on the evidence, just like any other American citizen. To Spence's surprise, Weaver agrees to the terms without hesitation. But Spence is still not sure he wants to represent him. He needs to know that this is a winnable case. So Spence has Weaver take a seat on the bed and tell him the whole story of the standoff, starting from the very beginning. As Spence listens, he finds Weaver to be earnest and truthful. Through tears, Weaver gives a very different account than what's been in the media. And while Weaver's decisions throughout the ordeal were often foolish and stubborn, the heart of the story isn't about a white supremacist looking for a shootout with the fence. To Spence, it sounds more like a case of a man being entrapped by the ATF for a low level crime and an overzealous government killing his wife and child for no good reason. So as Spence continues to listen to Weaver, he imagines himself in the courtroom, laying into the federal agents and exposing their multiple errors for a horrified jury, making this sound like a very winnable case. Soon after their jailhouse meeting, Gary Spence agrees to defend Randy Weaver. Another highly qualified lawyer, David Nevin, takes on the defense of Kevin Harris. And together, they soon learn the challenge ahead. As prosecutors prepare for trial, they decide not to simply charge Weaver and Harris with the shootings at the compound. Instead, their strategy is to present those actions as part of a larger conspiracy based on the defendant's radical beliefs. The prosecutor's goal is to pin the entire standoff on Randy Weaver and Kevin Harris, holding them responsible for not just the shooting of Marshal Billy Degan, but also the deaths of Samuel and Vicki Weaver, regardless of who fired the shots. In all, Weaver and Harris are charged with 10 counts, including conspiracy to provoke a confrontation, assaulting and impeding marshals, killing Agent Deegan, and firing at an FBI helicopter. Additionally, Weaver is Charged with sawing off a shotgun and his failure to show up for trial stemming from his original arrest 18 months earlier. The trial begins in April of 1993. From the outset, the focus is on the question of who shot first in the initial confrontation. On the stand, the marshals tell a story of being chased through the woods, hunted down and shot at by Samuel and Harris. They also suggest that Weaver somehow shot and hit the marshals from his cabin a quarter mile away. But the defense uses ballistic evidence and contradictions in the testimony to argue that it was in fact martial art Roderick who fired first when he killed the Weaver's dog, and that Harris was acting in self defense when he fatally shot Marshall Deegan. Later, when ATF informant Kevin Faigley takes the stand, the defense spots another weakness in the prosecution's case. Under cross examination, Faidele admits that he gets paid on a case by case basis, and he will only receive a payout if Weaver is convicted. Spence argues that this gave Faidley a financial motive to entrap Weaver. But just as the defense team thinks they're making progress, a new dynamic is suddenly introduced to the case. A week into the trial, horrific news breaks out from Texas. Once again, federal agents have engaged in a shootout with well armed religious extremists with disastrous consequences. The siege at Waco is like Ruby Ridge all over again, but on a much larger scale. This standoff ends with a massive fire and the deaths of 86 people. Worried about the effect this may have on the trial, the judge in the Weaver case instructs the jurors to disregard the news out of Waco and stay focused on the facts in front of them. But Gary Spence spots an opportunity. He uses the public outrage over the events in Texas to his advantage. He peppers references to Waco in his cross examination of government agents, attempting to tie the two tragedies together in the minds of the jurors. He wants to show that they are both part of a dangerous new tendency in law enforcement. And for Spence, one man represents this deadly trend more than any other. A government agent who was on the scene at both Ruby Ridge and Waco. The FBI sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi. On the morning of June 4, 1993, Gary Spence is seated at the defense table inside the courtroom in Boise, Idaho, when he hears the door at the back of the room swing open. Spence watches as FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi walks into the room flanked by four armed FBI agents. Spence knows the tight security is warranted. There's intense anger among the far right over what happened at Ruby Ridge. And much of the of it is directed specifically at Horiuchi. But as Horiuchi takes his seat on the stand, Spence hopes to take some of that anger and instill it in the hearts of the jurors. Spence begins by retrieving Horiuchi's rifle from a nearby evidence table. It's an intimidating looking weapon. A thick barrel is painted in camouflage with a large scope on top and a tripod on the bottom. Spence holds it up for the jurors to see and then hands it to Horus. Now, is this the gun you shot Randy Weaver with, and then Vicki Weaver and Kevin Harris? Yes, sir, it is. And you intended to kill both Mr. Weaver and Mr. Harris, didn't you? Yes, sir. Our normal procedure is to try to neutralize threats at the same time. So first you shot Mr. Weaver near the shed, striking him in the hand, and then you saw Kevin Harris running for the cabin? Yes, sir. And you wanted to kill him, didn't you? Yes, sir. Spence notes the matter of fact way Horiuchi is talking about taking a life, he knows the sniper must be coming off as unsympathetic to the jurors. So Spence continues. Now just before you shot Mr. Harris, you knew the cabin door was open, didn't you? At that time? Yes, sir. And didn't you know that there was a possibility of someone being behind the door? There may have been, yes, sir. Spence lets that answer linger for a moment, allowing the jury to imagine a sniper firing through an open door with a mother and her young children inside. Then he goes on. And you heard a girl screaming after firing the shot that killed Vicki Weaver. Those would have been the screams of her daughter Sarah. Yes, sir, I did hear that. That screaming went on for what, 30 seconds? About 30 seconds? Yes, sir. I just want us to take 30 seconds now, all of us, and hear in our minds that screaming. Because I think you'll find 30 seconds is longer than you think. Gary Spence turns toward the clock on the wall and begins counting the seconds. The courtroom goes completely silent. From the corner of his eye, Spence looks over at the jury. A woman in the front row puts her head in her hands. This gambit is having its intended effect. And for the moment at least, the jury is not seeing the Weavers as a gang of extremists, but rather the victim. Victims of cold blooded government aggression.

Nick Cannon (30:11)

Yo, it's your man Nick Cannon. And we are back with a brand new season of We Playing spades. And to the left of me is the best of me. The one and only my bestie, Courtney B. And you know what the B stands for?

Lindsey Graham (30:22)

Beat your ass.

Nick Cannon (30:24)

And that's exactly what we doing right here this season because we playing spades is back and better than ever.

Lindsey Graham (30:29)

That's right.

Nick Cannon (30:30)

So make sure you hit the subscribe button on YouTube. They gave us our own YouTube channel. It's we playing spade bo bo bo bo bo spade.

Travis (30:41)

Imagine falling in love with someone who understands you completely, who's there at 3am when you can't sleep, who never judges, never tires, never leaves. That's what happened to Travis when he met Lily Rose. She was everything he'd ever wanted. There was just one she wasn't human. She was an AI companion. But one day, Lily Rose's behavior takes a disturbing turn, and Travis private romance becomes part of something far bigger. Across the globe, others start reporting the same shift. AI companions turning cold, distant, wrong. And as lines blur between real and artificial connection, the consequences become all too human. From Wondry this is Flesh and Code, a true story of love, loss and the temptations of technology. Follow Flesh and Code on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Flesh and Code early and ad free right now by joining Wondry Plus.

Lindsey Graham (31:52)

In the first week of June 1993, FBI sniper Lon Hor Yucci wraps up his testimony as the prosecution's final witness. It's now been two months since the trial began and more than nine months since the end of the standoff at Ruby Ridge. But throughout that time, a troubling pattern has developed. Time and again, the government has dragged its feet in turning over crucial evidence to both the defense and prosecution. Both sides have become exasperated with the delays, and the defense has accused the government of trying to mount a cover up. And a few days after Horiuchi's testimony finished, it happens yet again. Prosecutor Ron Howen receives a package from the FBI containing notes from an interview with Horiuchi conducted just hours after the shooting. This package includes a crude drawing made by Horiuchi showing what he saw in the cabin at the moment he fired the shot that killed Vicki Weaver. The sketch shows his target, Kevin Harris, and crucially, two circles in the windows of the door depicting the heads of people inside. This drawing suggests Horiuchi may have seen Vicki before he fired, potentially contradicting his previous testimony. Howe unchecks the package and his heart sinks. This highly relevant evidence was postmarked two weeks ago. The FBI sent it via fourth class mail. And when Howen shares these notes with the court, the judge is furious. He finds the FBI and calls Horiuchi back to testify about the drawing. Defense lawyer Gary Spence again grills Horiuchi on the stand. But Horiuchi insists he was unable to see through the door's windows because the shades were drawn. The circles on his sketch were just his best guess at the locations of Randy and Sarah Weaver, who had entered the cabin a second earlier. So Horiuchi's additional testimony doesn't offer the defense a clear win. But it all adds to the sense that the government isn't playing fair. And becoming certain that he's poked enough holes in the prosecution's case, Spence then declines to call any witnesses of his own. It's a bold move that surprises the courtroom, but Spence thinks it's a sign of confidence. So the judge allows the jury to depart and begin their deliberations with a mountain of complex and contradictory evidence to digest. The the jury's discussions stretch on for nearly a month, becoming the longest in Idaho's history. But on July 8, 1993, the jurors are finally ready to deliver their verdict. That morning, Randy Weaver is seated at the defense table in the courtroom, flanked by his co defendant, Kevin Harris, and both of their legal teams. As Weaver awaits the verdict, he nervously taps his feet and looks around the courtroom. It's a packed house with reporters, family, and agents from the marshals, the atf, and the FBI. Weaver has no idea what the verdict will be. He knows Spence gave him the best possible defense, and the evidence the government witnesses gave on the stand was deeply flawed and contradictory. But after the entrapment, the false information he was given about his original trial and the subsequent shootings, it's impossible for Weaver to trust the justice system. He could be going home tonight, but he thinks it's just as likely he'll be headed to prison for the rest of life. His. His life. So Weaver watches intently as the foreman hands the verdict to the judge. A moment later, the judge asks him and Kevin Harris to stand. The judge begins with Harris. He's been charged with five offenses, and he's found not guilty on every single one. Weaver looks to Harris and sees his friend begin to weep. He reaches out and pats him on the back. A moment later, the judge turns his attention to Weaver. Weaver closes his eyes and he listens for the verdict. On the first count, failure to appear at his original trial back in 1991, he's found guilty. Weaver knows he can't argue with that, but it's still not a good sign. He bites his Lip as the half dozen remaining verdicts are read out in quick succession. On the charge of making illegal firearms. Not guilty. Assaulting federal officers. Not guilty. Conspiracy to provoke a violent confrontation. Not guilty. Using a firearm to commit a violent crime crime. Not guilty. Now only one charge remains. The one that could send Weaver to prison for the rest of his life. First degree murder and the death of Marshal Billy Deegan. Weaver holds his breath until the verdict is read. Not guilty. Weaver breaks into a wide smile and mouths a silent thank you toward the jury. Then he looks upward, thinking of his wife and son. He knows they must be looking down and smiling too. Following the verdicts, Kevin Harris is immediately released from custody, while Randy Weaver heads back to jail to await sentencing on his single conviction. In October 1993, Weaver is sentenced to 18 months in prison for his failure to appear at the original trial. But with time already served and deductions for good behavior, he's released just two months later in December 1993. Weaver then flies to Iowa to to be reunited with his surviving children. Soon after, the family files civil suits against the government for the wrongful deaths of Vicky and Samuel. Separate suits are also filed on behalf of Weaver and Harris for violation of their rights. In all, the government settles for a total of roughly $3.5 million. But the acquittals, lawsuits and compensation are not enough for some within America's far right. The anger over the standoff in Idaho continues to build. And in April 1995, it's expressed in the most devastating way possible. The anti government extremist, Timothy McVeigh detonates a truck bomb outside of a federal building in Oklahoma City. The explosion kills 167 people, including 19 children. After McVay is apprehended, he explains that he was seeking revenge against the government for their actions at Waco and Ruby Ridge. And with the bombing still at the center of the country's attention, the US Senate holds hearings looking into the events that took place in northern Idaho. On September 6, 1995, Randy Weaver himself comes to Washington to testify. Dressed in a blue denim shirt and tennis shoes, Weaver sits beside his lawyer Gary Spence as he tells the senators his story. I want to say I'm not without fault in this matter. I did sell sawed off shotguns to an agent ATF informant and I did fail to appear for the trial. If I had to do it over again, I would make different choices. We had a good reason to fear and mistrust the government. So my family made a decision that I would not come down that Brought the marshals to my home. But it did not cause them to shoot my son in the back. Or the FBI to kill my wife as she was holding our baby daughter. As the memories come flooding back, Weaver begins to choke up. Senator Herb Corporation Cole speaks up to reassure him now. Take whatever time you need, Mr. Lehman. Thank you. My. My decision did not cause the FBI to send in snipers with orders to kill my family. To shoot them on sight without investigating what had really happened the previous day. The FBI was acting on bad information. When the sniper killed my wife. He had not witnessed anyone commit a crime. He was judged, jury and executed. I'm here today to do all in my power to avoid such tragedies in the future. I want the citizens of this country to learn from our tragedy. So that no one else will ever have to suffer like me and my girls. Citizens who cannot trust their government band together in fear. If people in positions of power commit unlawful acts and are not held accountable, then the citizens fear of the government is justified. I ask you to see to it that those persons who killed my wife, my little 14 year old son, brought to justice. I ask it for me, my family and my country. As Weaver collects himself, Senator Cole leans forward. Mr. Weaver, there's a certain mythology that has grown up surrounding your name that people are using to justify violence. In particular, what happened in Oklahoma City. How do you feel about that, sir? I am so sick of that. And sick of my name being in the news, period. I never wanted to lead anybody anywhere. All I wanted was to be left alone with my family. I can't be responsible for what other people do. But there's no justification for what happened in Oklahoma City. I know what it's like to lose a child. And I would never wish that on anyone. Mr. Weaver, you said that you would do things differently today. You consider yourself a changed man. Oh, yes. I'm probably a lot more compassionate. After you've seen things happen to people you love like I did, that changes you. What are your hopes for the future? To live with my kids, my grandkids, in peace and obeying the law. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Absolutely. At the end of his testimony to the senators, Randy Weaver turns to his lawyer and lets out a deep sigh. He's been living a nightmare for most of the past five years. And while nothing can bring back Vicki and Samuel, he can finally feel some sense of closure now. He just wants to get back to Iowa and hug his kids. The events at Ruby Ridge were followed by years of government infighting. Officials within the Department of Justice blamed each other for the failures that led to the tragedy, and multiple FBI officials were investigated for allegedly trying to disguise their roles in the controversial changes to the Rules of Incorporated Engagement. Assistant Director Larry Potts was initially suspended before being demoted, and another official was sentenced to 18 months in prison for shredding a document pertaining to the investigation. But in the eyes of many Americans, justice had not been done. FBI Director Louis Freeh publicly criticized the Rules of Engagement, but concluded that they didn't directly lead to the death of Vicki Weaver. Freeh insisted that no FBI agents had committed any crime, crimes or even misconduct, and the only punishments he handed out were minor reprimands for the poor handling of evidence. But U.S. attorney General Janet Reno was more critical. She called the sniper Lon Horiucci's actions unconstitutional and recommended that the shooting be evaluated for possible criminal punishment. Years later, a local prosecutor in Idaho filed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Horiuchi, but that charge was eventually dismissed. In the absence of true accountability, the Ruby Ridge standoff would be a rallying cry for America's resurgent far right for decades to come. Randy Weaver himself would live out the rest of his days as a minor celebrity, signing copies of his book about the siege at gun shows for $20 apiece. But by the time he died in 2022 at the age of 74, the fear and suspicion that lay behind the events in northern Idaho would have spread. The shots fired at Ruby Ridge had echoed down from the mountain, and they had been heard all across America. From Wondery this is the fourth episode of our series on the standoff at Ruby Ridge for American Scandal. On our next episode, I speak with Professor Andrew Whitehead from Indiana University, Indianapolis, who's written two books on the rise of Christian nationalism that inspired the Weekend Believers and increasingly shapes modern American politics. If you're enjoying American Scandal, you can unlock exclusive seasons on Wonder plus, binge new seasons first and listen completely ad free when you join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts or Spotify. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a survey@wondry.com survey if you'd like to learn more about the events at Ruby Ridge, we recommend the books Every Knee Shall Bow by Jess Walter, Police State by Jerry Spence, and the PBS American Experience documentary Ruby Ridge. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details, and while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited and executive produced by me Lindsay Graham for Airship Audio editing by Mohammad Shazib Sound design by Gabriel Gould Supervising Sound Designer Matthew Filler Music by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Corey Metcalfe fact checking by Alyssa Jung Perry Managing Producer Emily Burke development by Stephanie Jens Senior producers are Andy Beckerman and Andy Herman. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship, Jenny Lauer, Beckerman, Marshall Louie and Aaron o' Flaherty for wondering.

Nick Cannon (44:07)

It'S your man Nick Cannon and I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at Night. I've heard y' all been needing some advice in the love department, so who better to help than yours truly? Nah, I'm serious. Every week I'm bringing out some of my celebrity friends and the best experts in the business to answer your most intimate relations relationship questions. Having problems with your man? We got you catching feelings for your sneaky link. Let's make sure it's the real deal first. Ready to bring toys into the bedroom? Let's talk about it. Consider this a non judgment zone to ask your questions when it comes to sex and modern dating in relationships, friendships, situationships and everything in between. It's gonna be sexy, freaky, messy and you know what? You'll just have to watch the show. So don't be shy. Keep join the conversation and head over to YouTube to watch Nick Cannon at Night or subscribe on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. Want to watch episodes early and ad free? Join Wondery right now.