Diddy’s Lawyers Accuse US Government of Leaking Cassie Attack Video – National

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Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs have accused federal authorities of leaking the video of Combs’ assault on his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, depriving Combs of a fair jury trial.

In the lawsuit 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 surveillance camera footage that showed Combs punching Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Although the hip-hop mogul initially denied ever attacking Ventura, he publicly apologized after the video was released, saying he was “truly sorry” for his “inexcusable” actions.

CNN has not identified the source of the footage.

Combs and Ventura later settled their 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 significant eight-figure settlement.”

The musician’s lawyers, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, said the alleged DHS leak “resulted in damaging, highly prejudicial pre-trial publicity that can only weigh on the jury and deprive Mr. Combs of his right to a fair trial.”

Combs’ legal team said it could ask that the video be completely excluded from his trial. If it was leaked by a federal agent, it would be a violation of the grand jury’s duty of confidentiality, they wrote.

Agnifilo and Geragos did not provide any concrete evidence that DHS officials leaked the tape.

But the lawyers noted that CNN did not obtain the footage “as part of a grand jury proceeding” when they told the government they would file a motion alleging authorities leaked the video.

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Prosecutors added that DHS “was not in possession of the videotape prior to its release by CNN.”

Ventura is not specifically named in the latest filing. Combs’ lawyers said they do not believe Ventura leaked the video to CNN.

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Freak-offs, baby oil and IV bags: The shocking allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs are revealed

Agnifilo and Geragos also accused DHS of providing “a steady stream of false and prejudicial statements” to various media outlets, including the New York Post.

The anonymous comments to the press, many of which are quoted in the memorandum, were “false, harmful and prejudicial,” the filing said.

Combs’ attorneys argued during their investigation that DHS sought to “destroy” Combs’ reputation leading up to his trial. The “particularly brutal and public search” of Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami is causing controversy for his lawyers. During the raid by federal agents, Combs’ two sons were handcuffed in front of waiting members of the press.

“After taking these two completely innocent young men for a walk and displaying them to the media in handcuffs and shackles, the agents led them, still in handcuffs, back into the house and released them,” it said the file.

Leading up to the searches on March 25, 2024, Combs’ attorneys said they twice offered to cooperate with the investigation.

His legal team described the raids as “public spectacles of brutality” carried out to portray Combs as dangerous and to maximize media exposure through the presence of 100 armed federal agents spread across the two residences.

DHS has not yet responded to the new allegations.

Combs’ lawyers said they do not believe the alleged leaks were orchestrated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They have requested an evidentiary hearing and relevant findings from the government to investigate any wrongdoing. Combs’ lawyers 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 racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The charges are related to so-called “freak-offs,” forced sexual acts that Diddy allegedly staged and recorded. The “freak-offs” often involved narcotics such as ketamine, ecstasy and GHB to make victims “obedient and compliant,” officials claim.

Earlier this month, Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee said he was representing 120 accusers who have filed dozens of new charges against the musician, including rape and sexual assault dating back to 1991. The accusers include women, men and minors.

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The attorney representing over 100 alleged victims of Sean “Diddy” Combs is speaking out

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 contact the Canadian Resource Center for Victims of Crime for help. They can also be reached toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.

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