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Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs have accused federal authorities of leaking the video of Combs’ physical attack on his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, denying Combs 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 unlawful government leaks,” with the attack video being the “most egregious example.”
The memorandum 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 ever assaulting Ventura, he publicly apologized after the video’s release, saying he was “truly sorry” ” of his “unforgivable” actions.
CNN did not specify the source of the images.
Combs and Ventura later settled her lawsuit against him, claiming she suffered years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse at his hands. The new legal filing states that Ventura received “a substantial eight-figure settlement.”
Attorneys for the musician, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, said the alleged DHS leak “led to damaging, highly prejudicial pretrial publicity that can only taint the jury pool and deprive Mr. Combs of his right to a fair trial.” ”
Combs’ legal team said they may ask for the video to be completely excluded from his trial. If it was leaked by a federal agent, that would be 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 noted that when they told the government they would file a motion alleging authorities leaked the video, prosecutors said CNN had not obtained the footage “through a grand jury process.”
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Prosecutors added that DHS “was not in possession of the videotape before CNN published it.”
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 also accused DHS of leaking “a steady stream of false and biased statements” to various media outlets, including the New York Post.
The anonymous comments to the press, many of which are cited in the memorandum, are “false, damaging and prejudicial,” according to the filing.
Combs’ attorneys argued during their investigation that DHS attempted to “destroy” Combs’ reputation prior to his trial. The “particularly brazen and public search” of Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami is a source 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 the perpetrator led these two completely innocent young men around and showed them to the media in handcuffs and under duress, the officers walked them back into the house, still handcuffed, and released them,” the filing said.
Before the March 25, 2024, searches, Combs’ attorneys said they twice offered to cooperate in the investigation.
His legal team called the raids a “public spectacle of brutality” to portray Combs as dangerous and maximize media attention through the presence of 100 armed federal agents split 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 the property is raided by federal agents amid sex trafficking and sexual assault lawsuits.
DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images
DHS has not yet responded to the new allegations.
Combs’ attorneys indicated 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 from the government, to investigate any wrongdoing. 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 released on September 17 found Diddy charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The charges are related to so-called ‘freak offs’, forced sexual acts that Diddy is said to have orchestrated and recorded. The “freak offs” often involved narcotics, including ketamine, ecstasy and GHB, to keep victims “obedient and compliant,” officials claim.
Earlier this month, Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee said he is representing 120 plaintiffs who have shared dozens of new claims against the musician, including rape and sexual assault dating back to 1991. The plaintiffs 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.
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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. They can also be reached toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Sarah Do Couto
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