Federal prosecutors dispute Diddy's claims of government leaks in court

U.S. prosecutors recently addressed allegations from Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team, which accused government agents of leaking classified information, including surveillance footage, to the media. Combs' team alleges that footage showing the music mogul's attack on his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura was illegally released by federal agents to influence public opinion.

Prosecutors refute evidence of government involvement

In a filing Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan, prosecutors argued that Combs' lawyers had not provided sufficient evidence that the leaks came from the federal grand jury investigating Combs. Prosecutors allege that Combs and his team already knew the video footage came from another source.

The controversial video, shot in 2016, became public knowledge in May when CNN released hotel surveillance that showed Combs in a physical altercation with Cassie near a hotel elevator. Prosecutors emphasized that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents accused by Combs' defense had no authority over the grand jury process or the acquisition of this footage. According to the court documents: “The defendant baselessly accuses agents of the 'Department of Homeland Security' of secretly obtaining the Intercontinental video without the knowledge of prosecutors.”

Government denies ownership of video before CNN release

Additionally, the government announced that it had failed to obtain video evidence of the alleged hotel robbery before CNN released the footage. This directly calls Combs' allegations into question, as his legal team argues that the government intentionally leaked grand jury materials to prejudice potential jurors.