Diddy prosecutors say they did not leak the Cassie video

The infamous 2016 surveillance video showing Sean “Diddy” Combs attacking his former girlfriend was not illegally released to the media by prosecutors, prosecutors argue in a new filing the rapper is accused of trying to “suppress a damning piece of evidence.”

In a filing late Wednesday, federal prosecutors responded to leaked allegations made by Combs' lawyers earlier this month. They say it's impossible that they leaked the video of Combs hitting Cassie Venture to CNN because they didn't even have it at the time of publication in May.

The government says Diddy's lawyers knew this, but they used the leak allegations to prevent jurors from seeing Combs “savagely physically attack a victim” – a crucial piece of evidence.

“Without any factual basis, the leak motion seeks to suppress highly probative evidence … by claiming it is grand jury material leaked by government agents,” prosecutors wrote. “But as the defendant is fully aware, the video was not in the government's possession at the time of its release by CNN, and at no time did the government obtain the video through a grand jury proceeding.”

Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, was once one of the most powerful men in the music industry. But last month he was charged by federal prosecutors with racketeering and sex trafficking in what the government says was a wide-ranging criminal operation aimed at satisfying his need for “sexual gratification.” If convicted on all charges, he could face life in prison.

Wednesday's new filing came three weeks after Combs' lawyers called for an investigation into the alleged leaks, claiming they “resulted in damaging, highly prejudicial pretrial publicity that will only incriminate the jury and Mr. Combs.” can take away his right to a mass.” Try.”

Diddy's lawyers specifically pointed to the Cassie video, which shows Combs hitting his then-girlfriend in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, which made headlines when CNN published it in May.

“The videotape was leaked to CNN for one reason only: to fatally damage Sean Combs' reputation and the prospect of successfully defending himself against these allegations,” Agnifilo wrote. “Instead of using the videotape as evidence at trial alongside other evidence that would give it context and meaning, agents misused it in the most prejudicial and damaging way possible.”

Wednesday's filing from prosecutors also addressed Diddy's recent demand that the government release the names of his alleged sexual abuse victims. In a filing earlier this month, his lawyers argued he couldn't defend himself fairly without knowing her identity.

In the response, the government argued that such disclosures “pose a serious risk” to the safety of victims, citing Diddy's “significant history of violence and disability” that led to him being denied bail last month.

“Given the defendant's criminal history, the government has serious concerns about the victim's safety and the possibility of witness tampering if a list of victim names were presented to the defendant,” prosecutors wrote.