Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team has taken a bold step in his ongoing case by filing a motion for an evidentiary hearing, accusing the government of working with the media to harm his reputation and damage the trial’s outcome.
The motion, as reported by Variety, outlines several instances that Combs’ lawyers claim are part of a “government scheme” planned to sabotage a fair trial. They are now seeking various remedies, including disqualifying certain witnesses or even dismissing the entire indictment.
One of the central allegations in the memorandum involves the leak of footage from 2016, which allegedly shows Combs assaulting his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Combs’ attorneys argue that neither Ventura nor any third party is likely to have leaked the footage, given the circumstances.
Ventura, they note, did not reference the video in detail in her recent sexual assault lawsuit, and a third party would have likely tried to profit from its release. Instead, they believe the government is the most likely source, pointing to the timing of the leak as suspicious.
Additionally, the defense is questioning the nature of the searches conducted at Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Florida earlier this year.
The searches took place in broad daylight, which they argue was an attempt to draw maximum media attention.
According to the memorandum, reporters were already present at the Los Angeles location before crime scene tape was even set up, suggesting that the Department of Homeland Security may have alerted them in advance.
