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Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs have accused federal authorities of leaking video of Combs’ physical assault on his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, thereby depriving Combs of a fair jury trial.
In the legal filing filed Wednesday, Combs’ attorneys said U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents facilitated a “series of illegal government leaks,” with the video of the assault being the “most egregious example.”
The memo was filed in connection with Combs’ federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
In May, CNN obtained security camera footage of Combs punching Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Although the hip-hop mogul initially denied assaulting Ventura, he publicly apologized after publication. of the video and said he was “truly sorry” for his “inexcusable” actions.
CNN did not specify the source of the footage.
Combs and Ventura later settled their lawsuit against him, alleging that she endured years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse from him. The new legal filing states that Ventura received “a substantial eight-figure settlement.”
The musician’s attorneys, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, said the alleged DHS leak “led to damaging and highly prejudicial pretrial publicity that can only taint the jury and deprive Mr. Combs of his right to a fair trial.”
Combs’ legal team said they could request that the video be excluded from his trial entirely. If it was leaked by a federal agent, it is a violation of grand jury secrecy, they wrote.
Agnifilo and Geragos did not provide specific evidence that DHS officials leaked the tape.
However, the lawyers did note that when they told the government they would file a motion alleging that authorities leaked the video, prosecutors said CNN did not obtain the footage “through a grand jury process.”
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Prosecutors added that DHS “did not have possession of the videotape prior to its release by CNN.”
Ventura is not specifically mentioned in the latest filing. Combs’ attorneys said they do not believe Ventura provided the video to CNN.
Agnifilo and Geragos further accused DHS of leaking “a steady stream of false and damaging statements” to various media outlets, including the New York Post.
The anonymous comments to the press, many of which are cited in the memo, are “false, harmful and prejudicial,” according to the filing.
Combs’ attorneys argued throughout their investigation that DHS has attempted to “save” Combs’ reputation ahead of his trial. The “particularly brutal and public search” of Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami is a bone of contention for his lawyers. During the raid by US federal agents, Combs’ two sons were handcuffed in front of waiting members of the press.
“After walking these two completely innocent young men and showing them handcuffed and restrained to the media, the agents escorted them back to the house, still handcuffed, and released them,” the file reads.
Before the March 25, 2024, searches, Combs’ attorneys said they twice offered to cooperate with the investigation.
His legal team called the raids “public spectacles of brutality” staged to portray Combs as dangerous and optimize media exposure through the presence of 100 armed federal agents divided between the two residences.
Police and members of the media gather outside the home of Sean (Diddy) Combs in Los Angeles on March 25, 2024, as federal agents raid the property amid sex trafficking and sexual assault lawsuits.
DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images
DHS has yet to respond to the new allegations.
Combs’ attorneys specified that they do not believe the alleged leaks were orchestrated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They have requested an evidentiary hearing, as well as relevant discovery by the government, to investigate any misconduct. Combs’ attorneys asked the judge for a gag order.
Combs was once one of the most powerful and influential men in the entertainment industry.
A federal indictment unsealed on September 17 revealed that Diddy was charged with extortion, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The charges are linked to so-called “freak offs,” forced sexual acts that Diddy allegedly orchestrated and recorded. The “freakouts” often involved narcotics such as ketamine, ecstasy and GHB to keep victims “obedient and docile,” officials allege.
Earlier this month, Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee said he represents 120 accusers who have shared dozens of new allegations against the musician, including rapes and sexual assaults dating back to 1991. The accusers include women , men and minors.
Combs has denied all new allegations against him and maintains his innocence.
He has been denied bail twice and remains behind bars.
Combs is scheduled to stand trial on May 5.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Crime Victims Resource Center for help. You can also contact them toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
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