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Federal prosecutors have “critical and ongoing considerations” for the protection of victims and witnesses linked to their case towards Sean “Diddy” Combs, the hip-hop mogul turned leisure billionaire who they’re accusing of intercourse crimes and are asking a decide to disclaim a protection request to determine them.
They’re additionally rejecting claims from Combs’ protection group that the federal government was behind the leak of a brutal video displaying the star assaulting his ex, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, in a Los Angeles resort hallway.
Legal professionals for the 54-year-old Dangerous Boy Information founder have demanded an evidentiary listening to on leaks within the case and asserted that the damning video, which Combs apologized for, was improperly launched by federal investigators in a grand jury leak.
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Sean Combs broke his silence in an Instagram video reacting to viral video of him allegedly beating his then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in resort footage from 2016, whereas sporting only a towel and socks. (Sean Combs Instagram)
The Justice Division denied even having a replica of the video earlier than CNN obtained and revealed it in Might and stated Combs’ filings are an try and suppress the “damning” video proof in his trial.
“The defendant baselessly accuses ‘DHS’ brokers — who don’t have any authority to situation grand jury course of — of secretly acquiring the Intercontinental Video unbeknownst to the prosecutors conducting the investigation after which leaking it to CNN,” prosecutors wrote. “No evidentiary listening to is critical to reject these assertions as unbelievable.”
This picture, offered by the accuser, reveals her, a buddy and two different ladies after she says they have been invited backstage at a Diddy live performance in New York Metropolis on April 22, 2011. (Obtained by Fox Information Digital)
In accordance with federal investigators, they needed to search out the video after studying about it however found it had “disappeared from the resort’s server.”
What they did discover, allegedly, was an try from Combs to bribe resort safety.
Curiously, in keeping with prosecutors, on the day the video went public, Combs’ protection wrote to them to specific a “concern that somebody (not any of you and never the lead case brokers) offered this footage to CNN.”
Learn the Justice Division submitting:
The federal government stated it realized of the video solely after the leak and was wanting into the way it received out – floating the concept Combs’ personal staff might have made it public.
“The defendant refuses to acknowledge that a number of people apart from Authorities brokers — together with a few of his personal staff — might have had entry to the Intercontinental Video,” prosecutors wrote.
The federal government additionally opposes a protection request for a gag order that might limit victims from talking out on the case.
Homeland Safety Investigations brokers raided his mansions in Miami and Los Angeles in March. His arrest got here in mid-September. The DOJ additionally requested a decide to disclaim Combs’ requests for a gag order.
Watch the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs 2016 Cassie assault video:
Combs is going through federal intercourse trafficking, prostitution and racketeering prices.
Federal prosecutors argued that he’s merely “not entitled to the cures he seeks” and requested the courtroom to close down his attorneys’ motions.
Individually, he faces greater than a dozen civil lawsuits alleging intercourse abuse and different wrongdoing, and dozens extra accusers are anticipated to come back ahead with litigation of their very own.
In one other case out of Louisiana, he is additionally accused of ripping off a design agency that constructed him stage shows, and the plaintiff’s authorized group in that case stated extra business-related lawsuits are probably.
Sean “Diddy” Combs claimed the federal government was chargeable for leaking a 2016 surveillance video of an alleged violent incident along with his ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. The federal government stated it realized of the video solely after the leak and was wanting into the way it received out – floating the concept Combs’ personal staff might have made it public. (Getty Pictures)
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Due to crossover between the civil and legal issues, federal prosecutors informed the decide that Combs’ request to have his Jane Doe accusers publicly recognized might place them in danger if granted.
“There are critical and ongoing considerations of sufferer and witness security, tampering, and intimidation,” prosecutors wrote.
Combs’ legal trial is scheduled for Might 5.
The feds opened their investigation in November 2023, across the time Ventura sued Combs alleging bodily and sexual abuse.
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Sean “Diddy” Combs roamed the Bayfront Park Amphitheater for Pitbull’s New Years Eve festivities. (Getty Pictures)
Combs vehemently denied the allegations from Ventura and from all the different accusers. Then the video leaked – displaying the almost bare billionaire brutally assaulting her within the hallway of Los Angeles’ Intercontinental Lodge.
The video appeared to corroborate at the least one declare in Ventura’s lawsuit – that Combs punched her within the face within the resort in 2016.
“Mr. Combs turned extraordinarily intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura within the face, giving her a black eye,” her attorneys alleged.
He was drunk, in keeping with the lawsuit, and when he handed out she tried to sneak out. However he allegedly awoke and resumed screaming at her, adopted her into the hallway and threw her on the bottom.
Hip-hop artist Sean Combs acting on “MTV 2 Massive” on New Yr’s Eve in MTV’s Instances Sq. studios, Dec. 31, 1999. (Photograph by Scott Gries/ImageDirect)
He issued a teary video apology and stated he would search assist. Now he is being held with out bail in a federal jail in Brooklyn.
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Combs and Ventura settled out of courtroom a day after she sued him, however his authorized struggles have snowballed from there.
Over the previous yr, quite a few new accusers have come ahead, and Texas legal professional Tony Buzbee stated in October he now represents greater than 100 individuals seeking to sue the rapper.
He has been accused of doling out date rape medicine and victimizing adults and youngsters at events, a few of which allegedly concerned unnamed “celeb” accomplices.
For those who or somebody you recognize has been sexually assaulted, please contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
